Stress Center Peer Support

The four steps you have written down are great but I just want you to know that the word accepting has a few meanings that may help you to go through the resistance you are feeling.

Accepting means to allow. It also means to welcome the thoughts and feelings that you are experiencing. It means not talking back to your scare voice in an effort to make all the discomfort go away.

"I welcome you. A take full responsibility for my thoughts and feelings and I invite them in for me to experience." Breathe into those feelings. Stay out of your head and focus on where you feel discomfort in your body. When you are really having a tough time, tell the anxiety that you want more. Keep encouraging the anxiety to stay and do its worst.

That's acceptance and you can do it. Take whatever time you need. Do it gradually if need be. You'll get good at it. This way you will learn to no longer fear the feelings and the thoughts. You will no longer be looking for a way to get rid of the anxiety. When it comes you'll handle it and you know it and it will pass much more quickly.

These are awesome answers. I'm going to print them off for myself.

I have recently realized myself, that being better doesn't mean never feeling anxiety. It means feeling it, recognizing what is going on, and realizing that it's OK to have an emotion and I have control over whether I want to continue in this vein or not and I possess the tools to get me to where I want to be.

When you say face the anxiety. What do you mean? That you say " This is anxiety and I am causing it with my thoughts."

Tony M

Facing is another way to help you accept what is going on. When you feel the first signs of anxiety you face it instead of running from it. Notice what is happening inside your body. ie: Heart pounding, palms sweaty, adrenalin squirting through your stomach, etc.

Usually we want to "run". Running is resistance. This time you are going to "allow" the feelings to be there. "I feel anxiety going on in my body. I am safe feeling this and I welcome it in this time. Infact, I invite the anxiety to do it's worst on me."

It's like turning around to face a Bully that has been harassing you for days, weeks, months, maybe even years.

When you do this? What is the result? Accepting the anxiety and telling it to do it's worst. Has that made you no longer afraid of it?

Tony M

Originally posted by Boon:
Facing is another way to help you accept what is going on. When you feel the first signs of anxiety you face it instead of running from it. This time you are going to "allow" the feelings to be there. "I feel anxiety going on in my body. I am safe feeling this and I welcome it in this time. Infact, I invite the anxiety to do it's worst on me."

This is the part I just can't grasp. I just can't fathom feeling anxiety and being okay with it...nay, inviting more!