Worry Container Exercise

The Worry Container meditation is a short mental exercise adapted from the practice of psychology, meant to give you a tool to use when worry or anxiety overtakes your mind. I’ll end this meditation with a poem reading of Wendell Berry’s The Peace of Wild Things. This practice is short, and you’ll thank yourself later for taking the time to do this. I hope you find it helpful.

Transcript

Welcome to the worry container exercise.

The worry container meditation is a short mental exercise adapted from the practice of psychology.

It's meant to give you a tool to use when worry or anxiety overtake your mind.

I'll end this meditation with a poem reading of Wendell Berry's The Piece of Wild Things.

This practice is short and sweet and you'll thank yourself later for taking the time to do this.

It's also a meditation you can return to whenever you need to set your worries to the side.

I hope you find it helpful.

We'll start in a comfortable seated or lying down position.

To minimize distractions and fidgets during the exercise,

Find the most comfortable way to position your body.

Once you arrive in physical stillness,

We'll shift the focus to the breath.

Take three deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.

And when you exhale,

Feel free to let out a sigh.

Really relax and sink into the breath.

And after three deep breaths,

Return to a natural way of breathing.

Now in your mind's eye,

Imagine a container.

This container can take any form or shape,

So it could be a box or maybe a glass jar.

Anything your mind conjures up is fine.

Just make sure that this container has a lid.

Take a moment to imagine this container in detail.

Now find the thing in your mind that you are stuck worrying about,

The concern,

The looping thought,

The anxiety that is bouncing around your mind.

Imagine moving that thought into your worry container and firmly closing the lid.

Know that this worry container can hold whatever you place in it,

No matter how big or all consuming it seems to be,

Your worry container can handle the contents you place inside.

Now after you firmly close the lid,

Imagine setting this container to the side of your mind.

Know that you can go back to this container and take out your worry whenever you want to,

Or you could leave it where it is.

We're not stuffing this worry deep inside the mind.

Instead,

We're giving this worry a home,

And doing so allows your mind to focus on other things.

By placing this worry and anxiety into a special container,

Instead of letting it run free around your mind,

You'll create space in your mind for other thoughts.

So take a moment to survey the landscape of your mind now that this worry has been contained.

What is there space for now?

What other thoughts or feelings are present?

Is there more space for joy,

For laughter,

For gratitude?

Just notice what you've created space for by taking that worry and placing it in a special container.

Take the next moment to just scan your mind.

Take a moment to just sit down back here for a while,

Ience when you're feeling down,

And after you've done that,

We'll begin to release the meditation.

So keeping your eyes closed,

But coming back to your body,

Maybe you wiggle the fingers and the toes,

Maybe you rock your head from side to side,

Starting to come back into the physical body.

And I'll share that poem,

The Piece of Wild Things by Wendell Berry.

Even despair for the world grows in me,

And I waken the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be.

I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water,

And the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.

I come into the presence of still water,

And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light.

For a time,

I rest in the grace of the world and am free.

When you feel ready,

Take a final deep breath in through the nose and let a big sigh out.

I hope you found this little practice helpful and know that whenever your mind seems consumed with an anxious thought or a worry or concern,

You can take a moment to visualize this worry container and place that thought inside so that your mind has a little bit more space.

Thanks so much for joining me.

Reviews

What a lovely, gentle way to approach our worries. Thank you for helping me feel more at ease with letting go of my (20yo) baby so she can have her month long Balkans adventure. The worry is still peeking out of the container, but it has a temporary home and it feels easier. 🥰

super helpful, not 100% effective on the first try, but I’m sure with practice it’ll get easier.

Thank you. I visualed my bread baking pot held my stress and worries. I took it outside and placed it in the middle of my native wildflower garden bed. With much love! Your meditation reminded me that we love every aspect of who we are. Hug the worries with much love. Hug and love the anxieties as well. Beautiful meditation! ♥️

I need this so much, I didn’t know if it would help with my worry but it did 🙏 thank you ✨

This was so helpful in the middle of the night. Your voice was helpful too. Thank you also for the poem. 😊

Very nice. I love the concept of the worry container.

This is exactly what I was looking for. I'm going to be starting this exercise in EMDR therapy soon and I wanted to get a head start. Thank you! 🩷

What a vivid visualization you provide for somebunny. I enjoyed creating a double bubble bulbous jar with a lid. Really inspiring with a good amount of space to consider the concerns just long enough. Somebunny is grateful for your grace and sharing with them!

Super useful. I feel more space inside for being, instead of worrying. Thank you!

Real relief. It works

This practice was calming, peaceful and beautifully paced. Thank you for a wonderful start to my morning!

Helped me create space that I filled with peace…thank you 🙏

That was such a great exercise! I can absolutely see this worry container working for me going forward and am so happy to have found your meditation today. Thank you. ✨

So soothing and helpful

Thank you so much for this practical yet beautiful and heartfelt meditation that I will come back to as necessary. I especially enjoyed the poem.

I love this. it does help.
Thank you!

Thank you this meditation is very useful ❤️

I love this meditation. It is awesome to create a home for my worries. Thank you!

Very useful technique to corral our worries into a container and push them to the side to clear the mind allowing more space for presence! I loved the poem at the end! Thank you!