There is still time to register for the Transcending Inner Barriers group starting Sept. 20. For more information or to apply, click here. Registration deadline is Sept.15.
Join me for the next Live Q&A happening tomorrow (Sept 14). If you have not yet registered, you can do so here. If you are unable to attend live, the recording will be available on my YouTube channel @Candy.thriving
Dropping Anchor
The dropping anchor tool was created by Russ Harris, founder of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). Russ uses the analogy of a ship dropping anchor in a storm. While the anchor doesn't stop the storm, it does stabilize the ship in these less than ideal weather conditions. A similar principle applies when experiencing the storm of anxiety. Using this tool helps to create inner stability despite the conditions.
The acronym to remember when dropping anchor is ACE.
A - acknowledge the thoughts, feelings and sensations that are present
C - Come back into your body
E - Engage in the world around you
With an attitude of curiosity and openness, we start in the curious observer by noticing what we are thinking, how we are feeling, and what we are noticing it in the body. Take a moment to explore this without judgment or trying to change anything. From here, come back into the body by pushing your feet into the floor, straightening your spine, and doing a stretch or simple movement. Breathe into your being, and get a sense of your body being supported in the chair (or whatever you are sitting on). Then, with the awareness of the thoughts & feelings combined with the awareness of your physical body, return to the present moment and engage in the task at hand. If you try this experiment as you are reading these words, you re-engage with reading this blog and taking it in, knowing that it is "important work" as Russ would say (i.e. worthy of our focus) and that re-engaging in it is a form of re-engaging in life despite the presence of anxiety.
Repeat this exercise a few times in a row, not spending too long in each category (just long enough to get a sense of it), ultimately ending with staying engaged in the world around you. As with any neuroplasticity tool, repetition of this exercise over time will increase your capacity to reap the benefits of it.
This tool is not a way to control how you feel. Its purpose is to help you weather the storm as opposed to make it go away and to re-engage in life despite it. This expands your tolerance for emotions and bandwidth for stress in your system, which are critical components of rewiring and recovery. Some people do feel calmer as a result of the exercise, and if you do, enjoy it but know that feeling calm is not the goal and we don't want to make this an expected outcome of using the tool. The goal is to increase our tolerance for discomfort and engage in life regardless of its presence. It no longer gets to stop you from living the life you want.
Best wishes!
Caelum's Insights (A Functional Neurology Perspective):
Caelum is currently in the middle of exams. His posts will resume next blog.
To see the list of upcoming events & opportunities, click here.
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Candy Widdifield, M.Ed. candywiddifield.com candy.thriving@gmail.com
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