Anxiety Bytes
Over many years my signature book, In Stillness Conquer Fear, has supported the recovery of many thousands of anxious people.
If you are seeking anxiety relief and haven’t previously read my story, here are a few bytes from the book to offer encouragement and a starting point for change:
- When you feel anxiety or panic symptoms rising, note the tension in your body and practice letting that tension go. The more you practice letting go, the quicker your rising anxiety will diminish.
- Don’t force or fight against fear as that reaction only stimulates the fight or flight response. No matter what situation you are facing, stop and think: ‘I will do this and I will do it calmly and easily, letting go of tension all the while.’
- Stay in the ‘now’. Every time you begin to dwell upon past situations where you were afraid, let those memories go. Keeping a focus on all the other times you have felt afraid or failed to accomplish something keeps fear alive and well.
- Keep going towards your purpose. Every time you retreat in fear rather than relaxing, letting go and calmly making the distance, you feel you have failed again – and so your memory stores failure as a familiar outcome. But the repetition of good memories leads to successful outcomes and increased self-confidence.
- For happiness and contentment, start cultivating positive attitudes. Negativity is powerful but once a positive attitude becomes automatic, optimism will dominate.
- As soon as you feel ready to meet a challenge, go for it! But approach it with that valuable attitude of calm and ease. Try creative inter¬ests and absorbing hobbies, especially among other people, to place unreasonable anxiety where it belongs — in the background.
- Never give up your search for success. Even if you can’t imagine life without high anxiety if you follow my suggestions you will soon challenge that belief.
- Cultivate an attitude of ease in your everyday life. This will gradually come into being from the practice of stillness. But in overcoming your fear you need to bear ease in mind until it becomes the way you live.
- And finally – recognise and address the tension within you; when you learn to let go of that you will be in sight of the green light to freedom.
The regular practice of SMT can teach you how to incorporate these steps into your life. If you need further assistance come and visit us at the SMT Centre to secure an understanding of this unique, original therapeutic meditation, created by Dr Ainslie Meares. If you can’t visit us in person, we can have a chat on Skype. Or you can download my audio CD from our site and make a committed start, setting aside a short time each day to practice.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Pauline McKinnon ©
February 2016
