Anxiety is not an emotion.
Anxiety is a cover for something we do not want to feel.
We use mechanisms such as disassociation or anxiety to bypass emotions the moment they appear too intense.
Right now we are in the confines of our homes with nowhere to be, no reason to ‘rush’. Really, no more excuses to not pause and begin to feel all that we avoided before. One of the many gifts of this present time.
I have noticed that watching just a clip of the news can bring about anxiety for me when just a moment prior I was calm. It may not even be my anxiousness as those reporting the news, some of them, are radiating anxiety themselves. Either way, their anxiety resonates in me for some reason. Maybe an old program I have run for so long I barely notice it until now when there is more space than usual to stop and feel.
Take a moment to ground and feel the strength and core of you. Pull up all that you truly are before delving into media or a conversation or a text.
You have everything you need inside you right now-safety, love, and abundance.
When you are in Silence, your Silence ripples out and has a huge impact on those around you.
While the Silence costs you nothing, it gives you everything.
Keep movin’ , breathin’, and if you notice anxiety, pull up a reference point that can assist you in rewiring the tendency to avoid an emotion. Dive right into whatever you are avoiding and then go for a walk or move or do something fun.
What is the point of being home if we can’t have fun?
( The above piece was paraphrased from and inspired by Joan’s Saturday Movement class April 2, 2020)
About author: Heather Mulhern was a student of the late Karl Wolfe. She has been pivotal in keeping the Karl Wolfe community together since his passing in 2018. Heather is currently taking Joan’s classes and has great insight to share.