[Mari]

Hi,

I follow this blog on facebook.
It offers reminders of things we already know.
The title is silly. I think the point is "how to make peace with your anxiety."

Here is a post from April:

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9096/...k-for-you.html

Below are some pieces from the blog.

How To Make Your Anxiety Work For You

1. Breathe to soothe your nerves.

Shallow breathing is a typical stress response. Hyperventilation can prolong anxiety and stress. Remember, it's your response to anxiety that is helpful or hurtful.

Because your senses are heightened, you can tap into body awareness more easily than some. When you recognize the nervous cues such as heart palpitations, headaches, and shortness of breath, take a time out to get your body back on track.

2. Meditate the nervousness away.

Anxious people often live one step ahead or one step behind themselves. You may find yourself doing one thing, but thinking about what you will do later. Then later, you might worry about what you missed from before. Recognize this tendency and focus on the here-and-now.

Meditation's quietness offers a way to bring everything together again.

Practice the Just Standing Meditation:
Take a moment out of the day to pause and stand still.

3. Let go of the fear of anxiety.

4. Accept your anxiety.

Part of the struggle is when you try and control your emotions. Why not let go?

Acceptance requires little effort because you're not focused on trying to fix yourself, nor are you looking for a solution. Repeat a phrase such as, "I have a busy mind, and that's ok," to get you back on track.

The fact is we all have something. Your thing is anxiety, and you may as well put it to good use. You can't go back in time and rewire your nervous system, but you can go forward and practice techniques to bring more calm to your day.

I like the suggestion to Just Stand.
I could try something like that.
It makes sense in a way.

M

[TBI/PTSD]

That is good stuff, if I can just remember to do it because I am usually thinking about what is next.

[waves]

Originally Posted by Mari

Actually, I found it useful to do this with pain when I have a bad or intractable migraine. Doing it does not improve pain but it does help not to worsen it.

The thing is, I'd resist feeling the pain and fight it, which would tense me up and worsen the pain. I started just saying ok, right now I have pain, let it flow... (The 'flow' concept works for me, personally.) The result was I could prevent the added tension and thus not exacerbate the pain.