Squash anxiety with simple mantras says meditation teacher Sarah Presley, co-owner of the British School of Meditation and author of new book, Making Friends With Yourself.
IN MY CAR OUTSIDE WORK, I WAS dreading the thought of walking into the office. My breathing became rapid and shallow and I thought my heart was going to pump out of my chest. Pinned to my seat, my stomach tensed and my toes rolled up in my shoes. The car felt as if it was closing in on me. I wanted to run but I was unable to move. I was having a full-blown anxiety attack.
This wasn’t unusual, as I often had anxiety attacks outside the office. I didn’t realise at the time how work had become like a lion’s den. I feared not being able to complete deadlines and being shouted at by my boss. I feared the judgement of my colleagues and how they would realise I was an imposter. I was also fearful about how much my health was deteriorating by working long hours to achieve the unachievable. I was on a hamster wheel and I didn’t know how to get off.
Anxiety was an unwelcome life passenger, which had arrived because my body and mind had become over-stressed. Everyday tasks, which had once seemed so simple, started to seem dangerous. I was in a constant state of alert. But on this occasion, something changed. I’d been meditating at home for a few months by now, and a tiny thought dropped into my consciousness saying, “this will soon pass”. I immediately knew I didn’t need to buy into the stress of the situation. So, I took a few conscious deep breaths – allowing the out-breath to be slightly longer than the in-breath. I could feel a sliver of calm wash over me, along with a glimmer of hope that I might finally be able to take back some control.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR ANXIETY
Anxiety arrives when you are feeling apprehensive, uneasy or fearful about what might happen. It is a normal response to perceiving yourself to be in a vulnerable situation. You feel it when you are in situations outside your comfort zone – and a little anxiety can be a good thing, helping you stay alert and focused.
However, a persistent feeling of anxiety can lead to both physiological and psychological problems. You may find you can’t shake the feeling and it begins to impact your sleep. You might need loved ones to provide constant reassurance on every decision you have to make. Or you may feel hyper alert and unable to relax. You may experience a pounding or palpitating heart. Your stomach might feel it’s constantly churning and you need to go to the toilet more often. Your breath may feel like it has sped up and you feel you are sweating more. Anxiety is a result of the overactivation of the fight-or-flight response – so if you are unable to calm down, you feel like you’re in a constant stressed state.
