stop anxiety final - lorri weisen€¦ · now, resume your natural breath. recognize and be...

STOP

ANXIETY

3 S T E P G U I D E

www.lorriweisen.com

F O R E V E R

TAKE A

MOMENTAnd write down three types of anxiety you are facing right now. This could be anything from the loss of someone special to cramming for school finals to struggling with your weight. While there may be many different reasons as to why we have anxiety, the symptoms show up the same way for all of us; anger, frustration, overwhelm, irritability—the list is endless. Almost everyone can agree though, that the more uncontrolled stress we feel in our daily lives, the more anxious we are.

© Wise In Life, LLC

TYPES OF ANXIETY.

DeathDivorce IllnessFinancial CareerMarriage

Weight Digestive issues TravelPoliticsAddictionPTSD

RelationshipsFamilySchool Terror AttacksHousehold Pet

Do you stress out on the drive home from work when you get stuck in traffic and everyone is driving like an asshole? You had a tough day at work and just want to get home and chill, maybe grab a glass of wine (or three) to try and escape your day? Or maybe you strive for that once a year get-away-from-it-all-vacation only to come back after decompressing and jump right back into your high-stress life again. That makes that 10 days in the tropics nothin’ but a distant memory. Sound familiar? Many of us self-medicate. Some of us try to escape our lives, our jobs, and our relationships by believing a “break” will do us good and sometimes they do, for awhile. We're searching for relief but relief itself is still wrapped up within the struggle. What we don’t realize is that we’re only treating anxiety and stress superficially and no amount of escaping or self-medicating is going to change the fact we’re still experiencing stress. We’re merely pushing it forward to another day and another moment.


HOW HAVE YOU BEEN MANAGING?

THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO FIND SATISFACTION IN YOUR LIFE SO YOU DON’T FEEL THE NEED TO ESCAPE.

That's a pretty high number. Sadly, most of us spend our days being angry and serious, upset and overwhelmed, in a rage and fearful about all kinds of things that we have no control over. We are enraged about politics, frustrated about social issues, offended by other peoples actions and words—and we allow these uncontrollable things to hold us back from feeling true happiness and peace of mind. The good news is, it doesn't need to be this way. There are ways to eliminate anxiety once and for all. So let's get started!


ALMOST 20% OF THE POPULATION SUFFERS FROM ANXIETY.

WE FEEL DISCONNECTED.

But first… a few words of warning. You may not like what you are going to read on these pages! These are not quick fixes and they do require work on your part. It took you a lifetime to build up the anxiety you are living with and it’s not going to go away with a snap of the fingers. I will tell you, however, that it will not be not as hard as you imagine it to be and once you start seeing the results, you will realize it wasn’t much work at all. Quick fixes don’t work. If they did, you wouldn't still be searching. The day I began Step #2 is the day I stopped searching and I've never searched again. You are not a failure at helping yourself cope, you’ve simply been taught the wrong methods or possibly never taught them at all. Again, most anxiety remedies are superficial or applied after the fact. What you need are tools to prevent the anxiety from happening in the first place and not just a quick fix to deal with it after it strikes. Anxiety can be controlled. Remember! All the self-care tips on the planet wont help you unless you create a strong foundation first. I trust that if you follow this guide and DO THE WORK you will be able to completely release your anxiety. Forever. The techniques wont take up any more time in your day, however, they will require you to re-organize it. What you’ll find is that once you implement these three steps, you’ll have more time in your day, less anxiety, less stress, more fun, more love and laughter and more hope for the future.

PREVENTION AND PRACTICE ARE THE KEYS.


GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK.ST

EP

Research proves that “Students are easily distracted, but regular, short breaks can help them focus, increase their productivity, and reduce their stress.” But children aren’t the only ones who need brain breaks. IF IT WORKS FOR OUR CHILDREN,

WHY DON’T WE PRACTICE IT FOR OURSELVES?

THE 4-6-8 BREAK is a type of mini-meditation and should be practiced 1-3 times a day as a way of stabilizing current and future anxiety. The focus on the connection of your fingers--along with the connection of your breath-- distracts your brain and calms your nervous system. The cells of your body will respond to this and create a “memory” not unlike muscle memory. The more you practice, the more you create calm. The more you create calm, the less anxiety you have. This can be done anywhere you are comfortable; at home, at your desk, on the bus, in the bathroom (might be your only privacy??) and should take approximately 4 minutes to complete. The goal is 1-3 times a day, everyday. Feel free to practice it more if you are in a high stress environment.


THE 4-6-8 BREAK.

THINK OF THIS AS “PAYING IT FORWARD” — A GIFT TO YOUR FUTURE SELF.

Sit comfortably in a chair or on the ground with legs crossed. Whatever is most comfortable for where you are at the moment.

Place your hands palms facing up on your knees and close your eyes.

Take a deep breathe in and let it all out. Settle in to your inner space.

Breathe normally for a few seconds.

Continue to keep your eyes closed throughout the entire practice.


PREP:


BEGIN TO BREATHE OUT TO A COUNT OF FOUR:

Touch your thumb and index finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of FOUR. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 Touch your thumb and middle finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of FOUR. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 Touch your thumb and ring finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of FOUR. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 Touch your thumb and pinky finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of FOUR. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4


BEGIN TO BREATHE OUT TO A COUNT OF SIX:

Touch your thumb and index finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of SIX. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 - OM 5 - OM 6 Touch your thumb and middle finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of SIX. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 - OM 5 - OM 6 Touch your thumb and ring finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of SIX. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 - OM 5 - OM 6 Touch your thumb and pinky finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of SIX. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 - OM 5 - OM 6


BEGIN TO BREATHE OUT TO A COUNT OF EIGHT:

Touch your thumb and index finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of EIGHT. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 - OM 5 - OM 6 - OM 7 - OM 8 Touch your thumb and middle finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of EIGHT. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 - OM 5 - OM 6 - OM 7 - OM 8 Touch your thumb and ring finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of EIGHT. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 - OM 5 - OM 6 - OM 7 - OM 8 Touch your thumb and pinky finger together. Breathe in to a count of four: > BREATHE IN -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 > Pause at the top of your breath and hold for a moment > Breathe out to a count of EIGHT. > BREATHE OUT -- OM 1 - OM 2 - OM 3 - OM 4 - OM 5 - OM 6 - OM 7 - OM 8

Go back to your regular breathing for a few moments.

Slowly open your eyes for 1-2 seconds, and then close them for a few seconds.

Open your eyes again, take a deep breath and then slowly re-enter your day.

If it is too much of a struggle to do an eight count breath out, continue with a six or four count. You want your breath to flow easily, not with a struggle.


NOW, RESUME YOUR NATURAL BREATH.

Recognize and be conscious of the space between your breaths, this is the pause or the slight hold at the top. Also called the gap. This is the connection point between you and your soul. Feel this space, feel the peace here. This is when you are fully aligned. It's the sweet spot! The space where you let it all go! Let your breath flow smoothly and evenly with the pause being a “rounding out” between your breath in aaaaaand your breath out. Imagine a rollercoaster when it hits the peak of a climb - that gap before the fall - a fluid, smooth and gliding movement. This should feel rhythmic and comfortable. If it doesn’t, simply adjust the breath to fit your needs making sure you always find that space or pause between the breaths.


GET THE MOST FROM THIS PRACTICE:

IT'S NOT STRESS THAT KILLS US, IT'S OUR REACTION TO IT.~ Hans Selye

LEARN TO

MEDITATE.

ST

EP

I’ll bet you were hoping this wasn’t STEP 2, right? There’s something downright frightening to some folks about the word meditate. I get it. I used to think that way myself until I finally made the commitment to try it out. I’ve had a meditation practice for over ten years now and have never suffered with anxiety since.

It doesn't work for me! My mind won't shut off! I just can't do it!

SOUND FAMILIAR?

If you go into your meditation practice ruminating over these thoughts, then you'll be right. It WON'T work & you WON'T shut your mind off. We attract what we give our attention to and if your attention is focused on failure, then fail you will. However, if you stop arguing for your limitations, relax, and begin with an open mind -- the benefits will astound you. Remember - YOU get to decide if meditation works for you by how you approach it. Anyone can meditate......anyone at all.

sleep problems (insomnia), strange dreams; headache, dizziness, vision changes; tremors or shaking, feeling anxious or nervous; pain, weakness, yawning, tired feeling; upset stomach, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; dry mouth, sweating, hot flashes;Sexual dysfunction, reported in as many as 30% to 60% of patients.

We've become a society that allowspharmaceuticals to dictate ourhappiness. But there is a drug-freealternative available for us at alltimes. It's not only been proven towork, it won't cost a penny. Depending on how resistant you are,the benefits of meditation couldbegin after your first session. Mostpeople, however, find it takes a fullweek or so before they noticeimprovements. According to one report, "It can take patients months to weanthemselves off an antidepressantlike Paxil without sufferingsymptoms such as dizziness,anxiety, and difficulty balancing.There is also significant weight gain,often after initial weight loss. A lossof effectiveness; Prozac, forexample, wears off in about a thirdof patients within a year."

...........................................


IT'S EASY TO POP A PILL.

SIDE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS:

Anxiety is really just our body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come. The first day at a new job or new school may cause most people to feel fearful and nervous. Speaking in public, meeting new people, or learning a new skill can cause some folks to be overwhelmed or anxious. Meditation alleviates stress. If we learn to have less stress in our lives by way of meditation, then it's inevitable that our anxiety will decrease. Meditation builds up our confidence and gives us the feeling of security and safety that we are so often looking outside of ourselves for. We become more centered, grounded, and even-tempered. We notice we are less dependent on other people for our sense of stability, peace, fulfillment and freedom. We avoid impulsive reactions and make thoughtful and appropriate decisions in difficult situations. We learn to trust ourselves.


MEDICATION TREATS THE ANXIETY -- WHICH SUPPORTS A SYMPTOM.

MEDITATION TREATS THE STRESS -- WHICH SUPPORTS OUR SYSTEM.

Make it a rule not to have any distractions such as electronics or tv before a set time like 8 or 9 AM. This will not only help keep your mind clear for your practice, but it will give you some breathing space before your day takes off. The only exception would be if you use a meditation app or timer on your phone. Just be careful not to peak at your emails. They can wait until later! Remember, this is a GIFT you are giving yourself. Respect that and respect yourself enough to receive it. Cultivating this one habit alone will completely change your stress level. The sooner you try to get into this habit the easier your days will start to flow and the less anxiety you will have.

The best time to meditate is right away in the morning before life comes at you. Of course, anytime of day is good but you've got a better shot of setting up your day well by meditating in the AM. As your day goes on, and the stress gets bigger, it becomes much more challenging to quiet your mind. It's best to get ahead of stress before it hits you, but anytime you can meditate is helpful as long as you are doing it consistently! If you start fresh in the morning then get up and go find a quiet spot to sit. No social media, no email, no tv, no checking messages beforehand. (Yes -- that means no Instagram scrolling in bed!). As soon as you engage in any of these activities, you are starting the stress momentum down a slippery slope. This is where you need to kick your self-discipline into gear and stick to it.

...........................................


BEST TIME TO MEDITATE.

...........................................


LET'S BEGIN!Before you go to bed, create a space to meditate in a quiet part of your home. You only need a chair or a spot on the floor. A cushion is nice, but not necessary. And don't go to great lengths to "design" a space. Rituals are beautiful, but not needed.

Set your alarm for 30 mns earlier than you would typically wake up. Or, if you follow the rule above about no electronic distractions before 9AM - you won't need to wake up any earlier.

Get up, brush your teeth, or whatever you normally do right away, and then go to your "space". ( I make a cup of tea and it cools while I meditate).

Sit in a chair with your back straight (use a pillow if need be) and your feet on the ground - or - sit cross-legged (Sukhasana) on the floor with a folded blanket under your sits-bones. However you can be comfortable with a straight back and with no strain or pain.

Set a soft timer for 20 minutes (see Tips & Tricks below).

MEDITATION


HOW TO MEDITATE CONT...Place your hands on your knees and close your eyes.

Settle in. Get comfortable. Focus on your breathe without changing it. Set an intention for the day if you'd like.

Take three deep and cleansing breaths -- a deep breath in through your nose and exhale wide open through your mouth. Repeat three times.

Find a focus; focus on a consistent sound, a mantra, or your breath (see Tips & Tricks below)

At first -- you'll feel twitches and itches. This is your body starting to relax, so just get beyond the need to scratch. It'll pass I promise.

Thoughts will come and go, come and go, come and go. It's ok. It's completely normal. You can NOT shut your mind off completely!

Allow your thoughts to just slow down. Remember to breathe but don't force it -- allow the breath to flow naturally.

When you notice your mind chattering, simply go back to your focus. Don't analyze your thoughts, don't judge, don't rationalize. Some thoughts will be very strange. This is only stress releasing and means nothing. Again, refrain from analyzing. (see Tips & Tricks below)


HOW TO MEDITATE CONT...

This will continue on for several minutes. In fact, most of us don't "dive" until we hit the 13-15 minute mark so don't beat yourself up for having thoughts. It's completely normal and will subside over time. It takes practice to slow down our thoughts and doesn't happen instantly as we believe it should.

Just keep going back to your focus. Breathe. Focus. Don't give up.

Continue this for 20 minutes. (Have a gentle timer set.)

When your meditation is complete. Bring your awareness back to the present moment and flutter your eyes open briefly and then close them again for 30 seconds. (see Tips & Tricks below)

Open your eyes and sit for a minute in silence while you readjust.

That's it! Notice the sense of calm you feel.


TIPS AND TRICKS

I find the biggest struggle people have is finding a focus. Guided meditations, such as mobile apps and videos, are a great way to get started. Once you have created a habit, however, its best to meditate without a guide. This allows your natural thoughts to come and go and many times you will find the solution to a problem or receive a new creative idea.

Remember that you cannot remove ALL thoughts during meditation. The goal is to decrease RESISTANCE to thought and be in a state of allowing. This will happen naturally and over time.

Below are a few apps to help you get started. (Clickable links!)

Calm Headspace Insight Timer 10% Happier Ananda

...........................................

...........................................

Focus on a sound such as the air conditioner humming, a fan purring -- any type of white noise that's consistent and steady. Find a white noise app for your phone and if you need to put in your headphones to drown out any loud noises -- go for it. You want to be free from distractions.

Your goal is to become the eye of the hurricane. The eye (your mind) is calm because the strong surface winds (chaos and stress) that converge towards the center -- can never reach it.


End your meditation slowly or you can create a "mood" and give rise to a headache later in the day. Take a full minute to readjust and find your way back.

Violent, bazaar and strange thoughts may occur from time to time. This is actually stress leaving your body and there is absolutely no correlation between the thoughts and actual events. Don't analyze, don't ruminate, just let the thoughts go. They mean nothing.

You may have really LOUD meditations where your mind keeps chattering and chattering. Know that you are still receiving benefits even though it doesn't feel like it. Always go back to your focus.

When you are finished you may not feel as if you have settled your mind one bit. Understand that sometimes it's just a fraction of a second that your mind "dives" to the Theta level (deep relaxation, meditation and creative imagery) and that your practice is made up of multiple fractions of "dives". It all adds up and benefits you.

The most important thing I can tell you about meditation is this; it doesn’t help you fully if you only practice sporadically. Meditation really needs to be implemented daily (20 minutes is plenty) in order to reap the enormous benefits. If not practiced consistently, you’ll simply hover along the outer edge and only dip your toe into the abyss that is true happiness and freedom.

TIPS AND TRICKS CONT...


I was trained in Transcendental Meditation and love using a Mantra to help me focus.. The practice (of TM) involves using a Sanskrit term that is devoid of meaning to most of us. These days, with the internet available, it's easy to look up the meanings so my advice is to find a Mantra that you can repeat comfortably in your mind and that doesn't distract you.

So Hum is the easiest mantra to start out with. Silently begin repeating “SO” as you breathe in and repeating “HUM” as you breathe out. The use of the mantra should be easy and effortless. Whenever the attention drifts away, gently bring it back.

You may notice a benefit the first day you meditate, or it could take several weeks before you feel it. For me, it took a week. The very first thing I noticed is that I wasn't "testy" or "snippy" to my employees or husband when I was under a lot of stress. This became my benchmark and way of staying on track.

Give it time and don't stop practicing. I promise you will find more benefit from this than from anything else you could do. Your life will be calmer, your relationships will be more stable, you will have more confidence and security, and your anxiety will be a thing of the past.

TIPS AND TRICKS CONT...

If you are finding it difficult to breathe during meditation, you may be trying

too hard. Unlike the 4-6-8 Break that has you fully concentrating on your

breath an actual meditation practice is the opposite of that. After your first

three breaths - slowly get back to your normal breathing. It shouldn't be

forced. In fact, at some point you may feel like you aren't breathing at all! But

you are of course:)

If you are using a Mantra, please let the breath guide the Mantra and not the Mantra guide the breath. That may sound strange but trust me, it makes a

difference. You will get used to this after a few attempts. When I first began, I

thought I was going to hyperventilate because I was focusing so much on my

breath. Once I learned that it's just normal breathing, that went away.

Many people wonder if they ever hit that **point** where the meditation

happens and I can only say that it's different for everyone. For me, I feel as if

my limbs have somewhat detached from my body, or they are lighter and

have no feeling. Of course, the moment you go looking for that feeling is the

moment you pop out of your meditation. Tricky..haha!

To really help me "dive" into a deep state, I imagine I can feel the inside back

of my head. Try it for a second. Close you eyes and bring your focus to the

back of your head. Feels good doesn't it! I feel this really brings me "inside".

I hope this has been helpful!

COMMON STRUGGLES

JUST. STOP. TALKING.ST

EP

Certainly not what you were expecting to hear! I’m sure I won’t make a lot of friends by saying this, but one of the biggest reasons we have so much anxiety and stress in our lives is because we constantly talk about why we are so stressed.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR

BELIEF, SHARING DOESN’T ALWAYS HELP.

1) Absolutely, positively--if you need professional counseling please seek out help. There are many instances where we DO need to share our feelings and the advice of a professional is warranted. 2) If you feel speaking to a close friend (instead of a professional) about a personal matter will help you, please ask them if they are in a space of emotional receiving before you share. Many times we "dump" on another without taking into consideration their own emotional situation. We spend our days being angry, serious, upset and overwhelmed. We are fearful about things we have no control over. We are enraged about politics, frustrated about social issues, offended by other peoples’ actions and words —and we allow these uncontrollable things to hold us back from feeling true happiness and peace of mind. We take things WAY too personal and we focus FAR too much on what’s going wrong than on what’s going right. We walk around this world in a stupor. We wonder selfishly what we are getting out of this life and judge how others are impacting us but what most of us don’t think about is how much our own words and actions are impacting and influencing our own anxiety.


Before I continue...

We’ve attached these emotions - anger, hate, rage, resentment, overwhelm, entitlement — as an almost permanent personality trait and we wear them proudly as a badge of honor. We blame everyone else for why our lives suck, why we are always so angry, and why we feel wronged. What we are not realizing is that these negative emotions are a strong indication of a deep separation inside of us. We're expecting the outside world, and others, to make us happy. We vent on social media, yell at our kids, become angry with our partners, criticize and judge others, and when we don’t feel we are being heard loud and clear, we create groups so we can continue to vent with more like-minded and angry individuals that validate our feelings. What we fail to understand is that regurgitating a problem only continues to perpetuate more of the problem. Maybe not with the exact same experience but for certain...with the exact same emotions. Different places, different faces, yet basically more of the same. Do you honestly feel better when you talk about what’s wrong in your life? Does it help you to complain and justify why you are where you are? Why your life is the way it is? Do you come to any solutions and find answers or do you feel like you are spinning your wheels in place? Sharing your feelings CAN be productive if you are doing it correctly. A productive conversation is explaining a situation, asking for advice (or council), listening, brainstorming, and working through a problem with the goal of finding a solution or a softer feeling place. Anything else is simply just complaining. © Wise In Life, LLC

Conversations are important. Complaining is not.


Does venting really help? The answer to this is simple; take a step back and look at where you are. If you’re life isn’t improving and your anxiety is still raging, then obviously you are not finding the peace you are looking for. Everything is energy, including your words and attitude. If you find yourself often complaining and venting, you’re only going to attract more things in your life to complain and vent about. That’s because talking about stress only perpetuates more stress. Most of us don’t even know we are doing this. It’s become not only a habit but the social norm to complain or talk about what’s ‘not good’ in our lives. What’s ‘not good’ in the world. We speak without really thinking about what we’re saying. There’s this social pressure to agree with others about how crappy things are and if we don’t agree, we are considered un-compassionate, unkind or just plain odd.

TURN THE PAGE

FOR 4 TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU STOP TALKING...


1. Pay attention to when you are angry - and you want to tell someone how you really feel. And then don’t: Ask yourself if it would be mutually beneficial to verbalize your angst. Will it intentionally hurt the other person? Will it create more chaos for everyone involved? Is it really necessary or are you just wanting to vent? Will it help you find a solution? Is it problem-solving? 2. Walk away when angry or passionate conversations crop up: Everyone has an opinion—including us. But do we need to voice it? Politics around the water cooler? Trolls on social media? Why are you engaging? Ask yourself if it’s really worth your time and energy to voice your opinion. Sometimes the answer may be yes, if it involves your safety or another’s well-being, but most of the time it’s simply unnecessary. If you feel the need to validate your point, start a journal and write your thoughts down in a safe and respectable manner. If thoughts are angry, you may want to dig deeper and find out why. 3. Don’t explain why: If you are practicing the above tip, please refrain from explaining why you are not engaging. Saying, “I don’t want to talk about this anymore because it's causing me stress -- is still engaging! 4. Learn how to change the subject gracefully and without conflict: A follow- up to #3. Excuse yourself politely by saying you need to make a phone call, or use the bathroom, or pretend you forgot something in your car. If the subject is still hot when you return, delicately, and without explaining why, try and change the subject. In time, you may not be invited to these types of conversations. If that gives you FOMO, you may need to look at the deeper reasons why you care.

Practicing these three steps will take up NO MORE of your time. Trust me when I tell you I've heard every excuse in the book as to why someone doesn't have enough time to start a meditation practice. My answer is always the same. Bullshit :) You have plenty of time you just need to switch your priorities around. Most folks also give up after a few days because they are expecting a miracle to happen. Remember -- this can take a week or so before you start experiencing the changes. A few weeks after you've created these news habits, take a look back and notice your improvements. Are your days getting easier, do you seem happier and more at peace? Remember to not talk about your anxiety (Step #3) while you are practicing the steps!

Trade in your social media time: We spend far more time on social media than we think. Turn your phone on DND and stop your notifications. Trade your tv time: What's more important? Watching This Is Us or having less anxiety? If your immediate response was watching This Is Us, then eliminating your anxiety is NOT a priority for you. Trade your coffee and news time: If you are suffering with anxiety, the absolute LAST thing you should be doing is drinking coffee and reading or watching the news in the morning. Spend your day without the TV on: TV noise, even if it's just background noise, is distracting. You'll find you have so much more free time if you eliminate this!


SWITCH IT UP.


We don't want to be controlled by anyone or anything - yet we find all kinds of ways to try and control others. We go to great lengths to monitor the behavior of our spouses, children, pets, etc., and of our surroundings -- current events, politics, social media, careers -- and when we can't stay in control it's only natural that anxiety strikes. As much as WE don't want to be controlled, we should remember that everyone else feels the EXACT same way. That's the most important thing you'll ever need to hear. Anxiety is simply allowing outside circumstances to be the boss of us. Our crazy minds make up all sorts of reasons for why we have it - but this is ALL that it is. When we are in true conscious control of ourselves -- our thoughts, our words, our behavior -- things begin to bounce right off us. We don't feel threatened or abused or vulnerable or a victim or in any sort of jeopardy anymore. We don't feel the need to control others to feel good. How do we get in control? We get so good at finding our OWN satisfaction and balance that nobody can be the boss of us. When we are in complete alignment, nothing has a hold on us. How do we accomplish this? By following the 3 steps outlined in this guide.

YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME.

ANXIETY IS THE FEELING OF BEING OUT OF CONTROL.

Congrats on taking the time out to do something good for your mind, body and spirit. Please reach out to me with any questions you may have and remember to please have an open conversation with your doctor before stopping or changing any medications. Breathe Deep & Live Well,

...........................................................................................

Make sure to follow me on Social Media!

@lorri_weisen

@lorriweisen

Lorri Weisen @The Live Well Perspective

www.lorriweisen.com [email protected]

All material is copyrighted by Wise In Life, LLC and any unauthorized reproductions is strictly prohibited. © 2019 Wise In Life, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

ENJOY YOUR NEW FREEDOM!

https://www.instagram.com/lorri_weisen/

https://www.facebook.com/lorriweisen/?ref=br_rs

http://lorriweisen.com/

http://lorriweisen.com/

stop anxiety final - lorri weisen€¦ · now, resume your natural breath. recognize and be...

Documents