Welcome,
My name is Divya Lewis and I'm a Registered Psychotherapist and a Certified IFS Therapist in Canada.
I wanted to share an exercise that can support you when you're feeling really anxious.
And I want to invite you to use it,
Incorporate it,
Take what works,
Leave what doesn't.
Typically when we're feeling anxious it can be overwhelming and there's some wisdom to listening and exploring those anxious parts of ourselves and we want to do it at a time that we feel enough separation.
So this can be a way to come back to the present moment.
You might realize that you're feeling anxious if your thoughts are time-traveling,
Sometimes we are focused on the future,
Or you might feel it in your body through physical sensations that are really uncomfortable.
I also want to recognize that our anxiety is a way that we keep ourselves safe.
So if you are in a situation where you're not feeling safe,
Where your body is physically threatened,
Where your life is physically threatened,
That there's some wisdom in that and I want you to attune to what you need to get to safety.
But if you recognize that you're feeling safe and this is an anxious part of you that's close,
I want to invite you to come back to your senses and your breath that's in the present moment.
Your breath is always in the present moment,
So you might just start out by noticing where your breath is.
You don't have to change anything.
Notice if your breath is higher up in your chest or lower down in your belly.
You might notice the five senses,
So we'll start with your sight.
I invite you to look around you and just notice five things that you can see.
You can say them out loud or you can think about them in your mind.
You might notice with curiosity things that you haven't noticed,
Even if it's in a room or space that you're quite familiar.
The next sense we'll pay attention to is your feeling sense.
I'm not talking about emotions.
I'm talking about physical feeling,
So you might notice something that you're wearing on your body,
The texture of it on your skin.
You might notice the air on the back of your neck or the seat that you're sitting on.
Just take a moment to pay attention to four things that you can feel in this moment.
Next we're going to listen for the sounds that you hear in the environment around you.
Listen for three sounds that might be near to you or further away.
It might be the sound of my voice,
The sound of traffic outside,
The sound of your tummy rumbling.
I invite you to take a deep inhale and just notice two things that you can smell.
If you can't smell anything in this moment,
If there is something with some aroma that's close by,
You might take a moment to inhale and just notice the scent of that.
You're having a drink of tea or coffee.
You might linger and just inhale the smell of that.
Lastly,
Notice the taste on the inside of your mouth.
It might be the taste of something that you've eaten.
It might be the taste of the toothpaste if you brush your teeth today.
Notice if the taste is pleasant or unpleasant to you at this time.
Now just take a moment to notice your body,
If there is any difference in your body in this moment from the beginning before we started this exercise.
What has changed,
If anything,
Maybe,
Maybe not.
Just notice if there's any tension that's changed.
If you notice any muscles that feel clenched or tense,
Inviting you,
If it feels okay,
To relax them and notice your breath,
Again,
Just noticing if it's changed.
Now,
Taking a moment,
See if there's one small thing really making it a tiny shift to move you towards feeling even a tiny bit better in this moment.
Check in,
See if there's something coming up that can help you focus on what you need,
A need that's not being met.
Remember,
You can always come back to your breath.
Your breath and your senses are always in the present moment to help you rediscover a moment of inner peace.
This is an exercise that you can do when you're out and about or in the comfort of your home.
I'm sending you care,
You're holding a lot of anxiety,
Recognizing the discomfort,
While also honoring your space for safety in this moment.
