Anxious thinking becomes a track or a groove you may unconsciously return to over and over because the brain has developed neural connections to support that habit.
Research has shown that you can also do the opposite.
Using mindfulness and breathing you are able to bring ourselves back to the present moment, & interrupt the cycle of worried thinking. This allows the brain develops new associations. The more you practice mindfulness, the more the brain learns to find a way to benefit from it.
This is the start of recognizing the anxiety and changing it. The next step is using it for good.
Research has shown that you can also do the opposite.
Using mindfulness and breathing you are able to bring ourselves back to the present moment, & interrupt the cycle of worried thinking. This allows the brain develops new associations. The more you practice mindfulness, the more the brain learns to find a way to benefit from it.
This is the start of recognizing the anxiety and changing it. The next step is using it for good.
Using a mindfulness technique of RAIN allows you to practice Self-Compassion
R – Recognize when you are experiencing a strong emotion–be kind and know it is ok to have the emotion; no shame or guilt
A – Awareness of where you feel the emotion in the body (the felt sensation): e.g. throat, chest, belly, upper or lower back
I – Investigate the felt sense of the emotion: shape, color, size, intensity; does it pulsate, change and can you feel a space between the sensations?
N – Non-identification: Emotions are NOT a definition of who you are. If you are angry or sad, it does not mean you are a angry or sad person. All emotions are just a passing mind state. Your emotions are like the weather; constantly moving and changing.
R.A.I.N can be used in meditations, or used for 2-5 minutes during the day when you recognize you are having a strong emotion. R.A.I.N. helps dissolve the emotion, allowing you to regain your centered self again.
R – Recognize when you are experiencing a strong emotion–be kind and know it is ok to have the emotion; no shame or guilt
A – Awareness of where you feel the emotion in the body (the felt sensation): e.g. throat, chest, belly, upper or lower back
I – Investigate the felt sense of the emotion: shape, color, size, intensity; does it pulsate, change and can you feel a space between the sensations?
N – Non-identification: Emotions are NOT a definition of who you are. If you are angry or sad, it does not mean you are a angry or sad person. All emotions are just a passing mind state. Your emotions are like the weather; constantly moving and changing.
R.A.I.N can be used in meditations, or used for 2-5 minutes during the day when you recognize you are having a strong emotion. R.A.I.N. helps dissolve the emotion, allowing you to regain your centered self again.