“Don’t fill your mind with the bad things that might still happen. Stay focused on the present situation and ask yourself why it’s so unbearable…” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8. 36
Remember that anxiety is a crisis of the imagination. The past no longer exists, and the future hasn’t happened yet. We spend much of our time angry or depressed over things that happened in the past. They can’t touch us. We also worry ourselves by imagining future events that may never happen.
The present is the only period that we can physically experience. Since the present is always available, we can use it to calm ourselves.
Add a simple component to the grounding exercise I’ve suggested in prior posts. Bring your awareness to the present by noticing your environment. Notice the things around you, such as the sensation of the chair that you’re sitting in or the coolness of a breeze. After you’ve done that, decide whether you are physically safe at the moment (If you’re not…better get out of there!). If you are safe, add the phrase “I’m safe, I’m calm” to your grounding exercise.
Checking your surroundings adds credibility to that statement; by checking your environment you confirm that you are indeed safe. This makes it easier for your mind to accept the phrase you’re reciting. If your mind believes that you’re safe, it will calm your body.
Practice this exercise regularly and you’ll find yourself better able to live in the moment, and one step closer to sustained calm.
The very best to you all.