Overcome anxiety

Feeling anxious?  There’s a message or personal truth that is trying to get your attention!

Anxiety is your body’s way of saying, “Hey, I’m trying to get your attention! There’s a message that is important for your body's physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.”  

This article will address how to bring awareness to the reason behind your anxiety and then how to manage or even overcome anxiety.

Let’s dive in!

Anxiety is trying to get your attention

Stress and keeping busy can be a very normal way of life.  For many of us, this culture keeps us in robot mode, lacking the awareness of what is occurring within the self.  We may even distract ourselves or turn to vices to cope, avoid, or prolong the inner work needed to heal our anxiety. 

Let’s be honest, inner work isn’t easy nor is it fun. Sometimes we have no idea where or how to begin our healing journey.  Many of us hit a breaking point before we attempt to listen to anxiety’s message and address needed changes within the self. 

There are times when anxiety can be minimized solely by supporting the physical body with better nutrition, physical activity, less caffeine, and more sleep.  While at other times, there's a deeper message regarding an internalized limited belief that has us feeling alone, fearful, disconnected from self and others, and/or unsafe without autonomy within our internal and external environments. 

In those moments when anxiety strikes, understand that underneath those negative anxious emotions underlines a limited belief.  One can discover the limited belief by acknowledging those negative anxious emotions. 

We first must gather the courage to resist our almost natural inclination to escape or mask any negative anxious emotions.  The key is to lean into those emotions by exploring and remaining curious in our pursuit towards personal awareness.  To become aware of anxiety’s message, we need to first feel our emotions with a sense of curiosity towards discovering any limited beliefs. Discovering our limited beliefs and this emotional awareness creates an opportunity to transform our limited beliefs.  Our beliefs directly impact our emotions and any inspired action we take towards answering the message our anxiety is trying to convey.  

The start of emotional exploration may feel unsafe and unfamiliar.  Find outside support if needed and begin your healing journey in a way that resonates with you. 

When that time comes to begin your healing journey, remember to be patient, gentle, and loving to yourself.  Much like a loving parent would be towards a child learning how to walk.   

Let’s begin and explore your anxiety’s message

This exercise unpacks a lot and may need to be broken down in parts depending on how far you can go in the moment.  This exercise will help bring awareness to your emotions and the underlying beliefs held within those negative emotions.  

You may need to repeat this exercise many times before anxiety’s message is clear and understood. Journaling and allowing yourself to do some automatic writing during this exercise can be helpful if emotions are stuck or thoughts unclear. 

When you are ready, do this exercise. 

Do your best to remain in the present moment, in a state of observation. You can’t do this wrong and no emotion or thought is “bad” because it helps in understanding what is. 

Close your eyes and relax into your body. Focus on your breath. Your breath is important for grounding your energy and in feeling connected to your body. 

As you use your breath to connect to your body, bring attention to any sensations felt within the body.  

If you are having an anxious moment, sink into the anxiety.  Allow yourself to feel it completely.  I promise, you can do this no matter how much fear or uncertainty you may feel. Keep breathing! Slow with deep belly breaths.

Any physical sensations can help bring attention to emotions as the surface from within the body. 

As you become aware of the emotions you are feeling, see if you can begin to label how you are feeling.  Are you sad? Powerless? Fearful? Alone? Etc…

Sit and continue to breathe through any of  these negative emotions.

Next, begin to notice where you are feeling these emotions within your body. Place your hands on the part(s) of your body where anxiety is being felt.  Imagine healing light going to those places.  As light is coming in, observe your thoughts and beliefs around those emotions you have identified. While basking in the healing light, recall any memories where similar feelings were felt.  

When your emotions are acknowledged and labeled, then ask your negative emotion “What do you need from me at this moment?” Is your lonely heart crying out for connection? Is your overwhelmed mind yearning for peace? Your physical body needing to feel safe? 

Only you will be able to reach deep within yourself and ask what your mind, body, and spirit needs to respond to the message your anxiety is alerting you to. 

Once the need is determined, ask yourself “ What belief do you have that contributes to the reason you feel the way you do and where did this belief come from?”

The discovery of this last question may come to your mind right away, when at other times, you may need to sit with this question and allow the answer to come over time.

How to transform a limited belief? 

Once there’s an understanding of your anxiety’s message, the next question is what to do in  response to this message? 

As we begin to respond to anxiety’s message, anxiety can be managed and even overcome.  Our emotions and actions will naturally align to support a more healthy mental, physical, or emotional state when we address and transform any limited beliefs. Our emotions, whether positive, negative, or neutral will always be a true compass towards the beliefs we hold. 

With all our held beliefs, evidence has been collected and then internalized from our external environment to form and support our beliefs. 

In transforming a limited belief, first we must gather new evidence for support of a new belief.  

It’s not enough to speak a new belief, we must believe and know its truth and feel into its truth.

How to collect evidence to support a new belief?  Seek small ways to begin to feel into a different way of thinking.

For example, let’s take the limited belief that one feels alone. 

Evidence needs to be collected to support the belief that one is connected to others and not alone. Evidence can be gathered from the small ways connection is displayed and known. Feel into a close relationship, a connection felt with a pet or connection to nature. Recall times where someone reached out, smiled, or offered to help.  Focus on all the similarities found amongst humans, our similar needs and wants. 

As new evidence is collected, look for ways to build this evidence. Start small and then choose to open oneself to being vulnerable with a trusted individual.  Feel into those moments when connection was shared with another. Feel into all moments where new evidence is collected. Focus on high frequency emotions, such as gratitude, peace, and love that this new evidence is cultivating within the self.  These higher frequency emotions communicate to our anxiety that its message is being heard and responded to. 

When a limited belief is transformed, our actions will naturally desire to align in support of this new belief. Oftentimes, when actions don’t align, there’s other underlying limited beliefs that need to shift.  A transformed limited belief will carry higher frequency emotions that will silence anxiety. 

Healing takes time.  The journey is long, but well worth it! 

(August 2023)