Are you ready to learn how to observe your emotions in an effort to free yourself from fears?
Now, listen to me very carefully… while you begin to practice expanding your thinking, negative thoughts will continually try to distract you.
It will pass judgments on your feelings or try to analyze them or increase your fears or tell you that you can’t handle moving forward.
That’s normal.
But with what you’ll learn here, this constant chatter in your mind won’t be a problem. The key is to let these thoughts come and go as they please. Acknowledge their presence, but don’t focus on them. Treat negative thoughts as clouds passing in the sky – you know they’re there, but you don’t have to peer out the window each time one goes by. And if you do get caught up, the moment you realize it, gently shift your focus back to what you were doing.
Here are 10 easy and effective way to defuse fear:
- Take ten deep breaths, as slowly as you possibly can. You can close your eyes if you choose.
- Focus on the rise and fall of your rib cage and the air moving in and out of your lungs.
- Notice the sensations as the air flows in: your chest rising, your shoulders lifting, your lungs expanding.
- Notice what you feel as the air flows out: your chest falling, your shoulders dropping, the breath leaving your nostrils.
- Focus completely on emptying your lungs.
- Push out every last bit of air, feeling your lungs deflate, and pause for a moment before breathing in again.
- As you breathe in, notice how your stomach gently pushes outward.
- Now just let any thoughts and images come and go in the background. Without judgment.
- When a new thought or image appears, briefly acknowledge its presence but keep your attention on the breath.
- 10. You may find it helpful to say to yourself “Peace. I am at peace” whenever a thought or image appears.
Give this a try, and if it’s helpful infusing your fears, keep doing it.
Read through the instructions once more and then give it a try.
Your mind will never stop telling you fearful, unpleasant stories (at least not for long) that’s just what your mind was designed to do. So be realistic and you will see dramatic improvements.
Now it’s time to move on. in tomorrow’s lesson, we’ll start to wipe away the struggle.
Barbara says
Sounds like a great way to relax and take your mind off of things, Linda. Thank you.
K. Lee Banks says
I wish I could take deep breaths! Between asthma and now a seasonal cold, breathing is a problem. However, even following your steps with shallow breaths was helpful. Thanks for sharing!
Kebba Buckley Button says
I like your recommendation to stand back from negative thoughts and simply watch them go by. Thanks for a very useful post!