Live in the Now – A Quick Anti-anxiety Exercise.

What are you worried about right now? Can you identify it? If not, try to think of what is really making you anxious, and write it down on a piece of paper. (Yes, I mean old school… don’t blog it, don’t text it, don’t dictate it to your tablet, just write it down).
Be as thorough or as sparse as you like, but you must be honest about it. It must be the real problem. Next, visualize that the problem exists solely on this paper. Maybe draw a box around it to restrain it. Maybe cross it out. Be sure you’ve gotten it all off your chest and on to the paper.  Every possibility surrounding the problem is now contained on this sheet. It alone is the problem, and when you crumple it up, the problem releases it’s grip on you. Crumple it now. Let the problem shrink as you smash the paper in your hands. Now toss it in the trash.

It is now out of your hands. You are free. It is not your problem. It may still exist, but it’s no longer yours to deal with. If it is a real issue that you must deal with at some point, don’t worry, you will in time, but not right now.  Now, let other thoughts come in; thoughts of things you can do with your day, now that that issue is contained.  You can do this, if just for a few minutes or even an hour. Truly let the worry go for now, let yourself off the hook. Just for the next 30 minutes, it is nothing to worry about.  Whatever you were worried about, is now in the trash and has no place in your head. Let it go. It’s fine.

Now, take a look around your room/office. Speak aloud as you describe the room. Tell me what you see.
Do you hear any sounds? What are they. Describe them completely. Is the room cool? Warm? Bright? Do you smell anything? Tell me every detail. Now describe your physical comfort level. (Do not tell me how you are feeling emotionally.)  Are your clothes comfy, or tight? Are you in a nice chair? Stay in the moment with me, describing everything you are experiencing in your physical world. Can you kick off your shoes and wiggle your toes? Can you take a sip of cold water or hot coffee?  Do so, and describe it – aloud. Ahhhhhh.

Now that you’re experiencing your “now” moment, it’s time to treat yourself with a few minutes of pleasure. Remember, you are fully immersed in the the now, and the worry you threw away, still does not exist. The next step requires that you dig into your memory, and find a song that made you happy or reminds you of a good time. Anything that has some pep and/or maybe gives you a sense of empowerment. Now, if you can, go to www.youtube.com and find that song, and play it loud. Remembering that you are in the now, and right now, everything is OK, and there is nothing to worry about. Enjoy your music thoroughly.

You have now spent the last few minutes living in the now. Continue to practice this, knowing that if you absolutely must, you can come back to the worry later – but hopefully, you will feel empowered enough not to. Or, at least having spent some of your life living it, rather than dreading or fearing it.  : )