Are You a Warrior with an “o”?

You may not know this about me but I am a freaking ninja at worrying. :) I’ve been honing that skill for years without even knowing it and it wasn’t until my late twenties that I started to understand and learn to work with my mind in order for it not to get constantly hijacked by negative thoughts and worries. 

Stress vs. Anxiety

To understand the above, let’s talk about the difference between stress and anxiety for a moment. While stress is short-term and happens in response to something your brain perceives as a threat, anxiety is more persistent and can linger even once the perceived threat isn’t present anymore. Both are completely normal and human reactions but the important thing here is you want to make them proportionate to what is actually happening.

What Helps Me

I’ve come to recognize that, in order to release anxiety, there are two things that really help me. Number one is movement which enables me to let go of the physical symptoms of anxiety like excess tension. The other one is doing something that brings me to the present moment so that my mind doesn’t get preoccupied with worries.

A Simple Tool

One tool I use to manage worries and negative thoughts is a technique called noting. Rather than trying to fight the unwanted thoughts or push them away I just approach them with curiosity, notice they’re there and let them dissipate. It usually does the trick. Plus the more you practice noting, the less time it takes you to notice your mind is getting hijacked, meaning less time spent worrying.

An Invitation

All of this brings me to today’s invitation. Next Tuesday 1st February at 3 pm GMT I have the pleasure of appearing as a guest coach on the BAPAM Online Community Drop-In Session taking you through a practice of Musicians’ Yoga to Manage Anxiety. 

Come along! Entry is completely free and all you need is a chair or something else to sit on and a bit of space to move.