unchainingme

Local grad breaks news and hearts—with that hair (from mama) and that smile (also from mama sorry not sorry lol)

His heart tho! The kind of human he is tho! That’s got to be a soul sparking gift of a divine.

Congratulations and well done my boy!!

I have taught others this for years.
“What you resist, persists”

I even have a whole podcast episode on the concept of Radical Acceptance or situations and emotional discomfort.

I guess is true that we teach that which we need to learn the most. Because sitting with the ick of unwanted emotions is something I am only beginning to master.

Of all the skills I am on the path to the mastery of, this right here is arguably the hardest and most important. The more I practice it, the shorter I suffer, the quicker I resume living and even thriving.

Where are you on the skill of radical acceptance of discomfort, the emotional kind?

What makes it hard to master, in your opinion?

For those of us who struggle with anxiety, seasons such as this one are guaranteed to be difficult.
Or maybe we will feel seen by the rest of the world as the anxiety and panic is likely to be felt collectively.
I remember that is how I felt during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Like the rest of the world finally understanding what it is like to be stuck in a space unwanted and forced to face once inner climate. I guess misery does love company?

Managing anxiety in my own personal life looks different from Season to Season. The most I can hope for is to be aware before it festers. For in that situation, I can choose to use one or more of the tools in my box that I have gathered over the years . I can decide to go back to the drawing board , all the way to the basics all the way to my breath.
I can whip up my affirmations. I can create “fake“ physical tension in my muscles and trick my body into releasing the ‘fight or flight or freeze’ that it may not even know that it was holding onto. ( I do risk looking constipated while doing this, but aesthetic is not my aim here)

As election day is underway and nailbiting moments are around the corner, followed by news that some of us may not find palatable. I am going back to the drawing board of my affirmations and my breath. These affirmations for dealing with anxiety and panic were curated from my go to guided meditation creator, Belleruth Naparstek.

They are not simply afterthoughts or creative writing, rather a result of research into engaging the subconscious brain to better deal with anxiety and panic. I hope they serve you as much as they serve me.