My #1 practice to calm fear & anxiety ✨
Big Magic and Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert says:
“The opposite of fear is not courage. The opposite of fear is compassion.”
I’ve been quiet lately, and moving slowly like molasses.
My mind, however, in the form of my Inner Critic, has been on overdrive, harassing me lately with “You’re not doing enough!” “You’re missing out!” “What’s wrong with you!?”
And the newest assault: “Quick, come up with your ‘pivot’ for your business…NOW!” 🙂
Can you relate?
Meanwhile, the online noise has gotten louder and more persistent.
It’s been more challenging lately for me to tune in to my inner wisdom and discern what is mine to do, and what is not mine to do. And in order to tune in, I must first calm any fear & anxiety present, and come back into harmony with my true self.
Here’s my #1 spiritual practice to calm fear & anxiety and come back home to your own inner knowing. Which means trusting your process, your timing, your energy, your body, your pace, your actions, your non-actions, YOUR way of moving through the world.
1) First, put on paper all the fearful, anxious and stressful thoughts. Give fear its voice. Don’t censor, hold back or sugarcoat your words. Don’t try and sound spiritual, enlightened or rational. Let fear be heard–no matter how ugly or shameful it sounds.
2) Next, write from the voice of Unconditional Love. Imagine what the most loving, tender and compassionate person could say to you, and then write that. Write what you most long to hear from someone, a benevolent being, an angel, or your understanding of God or a higher power.
3) Read the soothing words aloud to yourself. Sometimes I like to even hold myself in a gentle hug as I’m reading or put my hand on my heart to further calm and soothe my nervous system.
Here’s an excerpt from the Voice of Love I wrote in my journal a few weeks ago:
First off, I love you so much. I’m here for you. I’m not going anywhere. I hear you, and I hold you in my arms. Angel, angel, angel. You are worthy. You are worthy. You are worthy. You are Divine. I love every part of you, especially the broken parts, the parts that cause you pain and distress. They make up the whole of you. Your humanness is ALL acceptable to me. The scared, hurt girl is so very precious to me. I adore her. I adore you, my precious angel. I am here for you every step of the way. I’m not going anywhere. I’m always here for you. I love everything about you. Every bit. Every part you judge as freaky, awkward, weird, uncouth, fragile, ugly or inept. My smiling eyes are always upon you. You are majestic, wondrous, magnificent, beautiful.
Lately, I’ve needed to double up on this practice and give myself extra doses of love, compassion, and assurance. What a gift!
I’d love to hear your thoughts and how you’re doing in these peculiar times. Please comment and let me know what this practice sparks for you.
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