Breathe through the waves of anxiety.
That’s all it is. There is no need to bring more energy to it than necessary.
Why would you want to give it more power?
I hope that you have found yourself standing by the shore of the ocean in your life. As someone who grew up on the east coast it’s hard to imagine so many don’t experience the gift of standing at the sea.
Perhaps it’s a lake, or a river where there is still the absolute flow of water.
In a moment, close your eyes and bring yourself to the edge of the sea. The waves are always flowing in. One after the other, after the other.
We honor the magnificence and power of the sea and we don’t question its ability to make waves.
If we do question them, it’s to understand them. Just as a surfer wants to understand the medium he is wanting to master.
For some of us anxiety just comes in waves. Just like there is variety in every shoreline and body of water. Varity in the sand we step on. There is variety in how and if one experiences what we have applied the language of anxiety to.
It can come on fast and changes our physiological state and extends out to our physical and psychological state. It’s presence can overwhelm and encapsulate some.
It’s a super real human experience and if you don’t experience it be thankful. If you do experience it, I challenge you to shift and be thankful. Allow it to reveal something to you.
My experience with this has brought me back to the power of our mind, body and spirit connection.
When we are tending to all areas of our wellbeing we become very in tune with how well we are connected, operating and spinning on all cylinders so to speak.
The presence of anxiety doesn’t mean you failed, doesn’t mean you need medication, doesn’t mean you need to close yourself off from the world.
Our human experience is very complex and understanding how environmental, family, stress, work, rest and nutrition come into play in how we truly feel isn’t always so black and white.
My point is, don’t beat yourself up so much. Don’t make the presence of anxiety any bigger than it needs to be. Honor that you are a beautiful soul living a complex human experience and simply say hello, anxiety, nice to see you again.
Honor that it is there to show you something. Be curious about the environment you’re in, the conversations your having, the texting or social media usage you may be engaging in. Are you getting caught up in the never-ending negative loop on the news? Have you been truly eating to nourish your body? Are you mindful of the quality of rest you’re getting? Are you simply overwhelmed with your financial responsibility and plain simple life responsibilities?
Stay curious about yourself. In the most loving way possible.
All of it is okay. Anything that came up as you ran through those questions.
Honor it. Acknowledge it and let is pass through you. Write it down if that serves you.
We aren’t here to suffer, and it seems we are the hardest on ourselves so we make ourselves suffer. Some of us don’t see it that way and think outside people and things are attacking us causing anxiety. I challenge you to drop that narrative and understand that we have absolutely no control over anything or anyone.
So why suffer because of someone else or something?
We have absolutely no control over anything or anyone.
We have absolute control over our ability to be resilient and compassionate towards ourselves in any given moment – in the moment when anxiety decides to say hello.
I’m kind of sorry but really not sorry if your story only blames others because your choosing to stay in a narrative that is not serving you.
I want you to know how much power you have over this and how much it doesn’t have power over you.
It takes work, intention and practice but with that you will come into a place of owning your power.
And here come the waves again. Hi anxiety.
Surf.
Ride the wave. Because that is all it is.
It’s rolling in, some have more strength and depth than others and it will pass through.
It may be 5 minutes or an hour or just a challenging day where it weans and waxes.
Either way, it’s always a wave.
The number one tool you always, always have while you’re on this planet is your breath. My goodness, this is single-handedly the most beneficial tool we have that while it does run on auto-pilot, we can absolutely bring our full focus to it and control it and use it to our highest benefit.
Deep slow breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth is such a beautiful tool. A beautiful resource always readily available to you.
You can do this in line, at your desk, in your car, with your kids, in that meeting. Minimally you can simply bring your awareness to your breath and slow and deepen with each inhale and exhale wherever you are.
To really surf a wave of anxiety you can find the closest space where you can be alone. Maybe it’s a 10 minute walk outside the office, ten minutes in your car if you need to. A quiet space in your home if that exists.
You have 5 minutes. You have 1 minute. Excuses are optional.
Gift yourself 10 minutes if you can. Always more if that’s available to you.
Close your eyes and honor the waves coming in. Quiet your mind and honor any thoughts that come up but gently push them away. Only allow yourself to breathe right now. Just breathe where you are at.
Breath work will change your state.
Let me say it again, breath work will change your state.
Surf. Flow. Breathe.
Honor the power that you always have inside of you. With practice you will always become more in tune to how you are feeling, how you are showing up for yourself and how well you are surfing any waves that roll into your life.
Practice, breathe and schedule rest. I’m right here cheering you on.
