Anxiety…

We were having a conversation about her anxiety. I was going through the basics of nervous system health, trauma responses and how we store emotional baggage in our body. I talked about the remedies and my approach to it.

She said ‘Great, yeah that’s what I am after... so how do I do it’?

We went into the foundational tool practices beginning with the belly breath, to calm and heal the nervous system.

She became tense, left her body, her mouth tightened around the corners and tears begun to flow. She said, ‘I’m having an anxiety attack’.

She had a little walk around to gently settle herself and calm her breathing.

We talked about this... and the important of language. How we use words to form our identity. As, you are not your anxiety. It’s a feeling that happens in your body. It is fear coming to the surface to be felt, nurtured and released.

What she felt was this. Her nervous system contracted, she went into freeze (a trauma response to fear), she felt funny feelings in her tummy and tears fell. She called this ‘I’m having an anxiety attack’ Learnt language for the emotional response.

What I witnessed. Her nervous system contacted, she went into freeze and left her body, tried to escape feeling what was there to be felt (a natural protection to fear), she felt funny feelings in her tummy, and she cried. I call this ‘fear’.

So you see, the same thing happened, and we give it different names.

Anxiety, worry, overthinking and panic are all words to describe an emotion – fear (also avoidance and denial). So call it what it is. Feel gently into the edges of your fears. What is there for you? What is its message? What does it want you to know? What does it need?

Gently.

Slowly.

Befriend what is rising.

What is it offering and asking of you.

You are not your anxiety, but you are your fears. Dealing with anxiety is learning how to hold yourself gently in fear. Facing the things that scare you. Learning gently, slowly to rewire your nervous system into a healthier state of function.

The greatest bypass we have to doing life right now is a fear to face life blood, guts, sweat and tears. Taking responsibly for you and your feelings. Fear is a part of life. The sooner you make friends with it the better off you will be.

Dealing with anxiety is a skill.

Understand it in your brain.

Make it so in the body.

You can do it. Everyone can.