How to Manage Anxiety + Overwhelm With This “Smoking” Trick ⋆ Earth and Water

For so many of us, trying to manage anxiety and overwhelm is a daily battle. It slows down and hinders normal life, add a busy schedule and things can get really hard. Anxiety and overwhelm keeps us in fear, telling us to stay in our comfort zone, often alone, where it’s safe. Always keeping us stuck in the juggle of wanting more but being cautious of adding things to the agenda.

I use to get overwhelmed if I had more than 2 things per week in my planner. I couldn’t handle the expectations I felt were on me when there was something to do. Expectations I was, of course, putting on myself. I needed much more recharge time than other people which left me canceling, rescheduling and saying no to invitations.

There was safety in the nonaction. As long as I stayed home, nothing got behind.

The housework stayed caught up
My work stayed caught up
Homework stayed caught up
My energy levels stayed caught up
Anxiety and overwhelm stayed down

But in this safety is also missed opportunities. Memories that can never be remade, love and joy of togetherness that the soul needs to thrive. So I decided to flip the script and allow my calendar to fill up. It was hyperventilating-ly exhausting at first but after a couple of weeks I began to relax into my new routines with some coping skills for managing anxiety and overwhelm.

Pretend Cigarettes to Manage Anxiety and Overwhelm

Most of us think we’re too busy to give ourselves 2-5 minutes to meditate. I observed though, that no matter what’s going on or where they are, smokers are always able to find the time and space for their cigarettes.

So I started pretend smoking for the sake of managing my anxiety and overwhelm. Periodically throughout the day, I’ll go outside. No matter the weather. For at least 2 minutes and just breathe deeply, take in the beauty of the world and relax the muscles in my body. It doesn’t matter that it’s cold or wet or hot. I mean, smokers don’t care what the weather is, do they?

Mechanics of the Meditation:

Find a comfortable sitting position
Begin focusing on your breathing
Inhale deep in the belly, to full capacity
Exhale slowly, relaxing a little more with each out breath
Shoulders back and down, spine tall
Scan your body, relaxing every muscle from your face to your toes individually
Notice the nature around you and the magnificence of it all

My moment of peace and fresh air is just as important to me as their cigarette is to them. I know how much better I feel when I create that space for myself to just exist and I deserve to give myself that feeling. If they can make time for theirs, I can make time for this.

Mechanics of meditation to manage anxiety

In the winter, if the sun’s just right on my face, I may sit there for 20 minutes. Or if it’s warm enough I may go get my book and stay out there until the crisp wind bites. In the warm months I find shade and admire all of the life going on around me.

This mode of meditation is invaluable. Lowering stress and anxiety, giving me a a chance to grab my daily dose of vitamin D and soothing my soul to be out in nature. Especially in the days of winter when the sun is scarce.

Implement It to Manage Anxiety

Can you spare 2 minutes to pause 3 times a day? You deserve the space to breathe. Time where nothing needs to be done but breathing and existing. For just a moment in time where there are no to do lists, no responsibilities. Go try it out now and let me know how it feels.

I challenge you to put it into your phone right now. Schedule it into your calendar, your reminders, your alarms, whatever works for you to remember to practice it. After a solid week of practicing 2 minutes a day, come tell me how you feel. Has it helped?

Leave us a comment below for accountability saying you’ve scheduled it and join us in the Facebook group for daily mindset and alignment work just like this!

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