Uncertainty Fuels Anxiety

When I am uncertain about something it fuels anxiety in me. When I don’t know what will happen, I become anxious that the future will be bad for me. Thus uncertainty encourages my mind to imagine doomsday scenarios.  Uncertainty triggers a mind loop of bad images that just keep going round and round in my head like a merry go round. Uncertainty about whether I will be safe and secure in the future often brings up bad images from the past.  As bad images of pain and suffering flood my mind, the anxiety that I feel makes me feel bad all over.

When I am anxious, I feel like my gut is twisted into a tight ball, making it difficult for me to comfortably eat food, digest it, and eliminate it. I hate this feeling of anxiety and the disruption that it causes to my bodily functions.  I simply don’t feel well when I am anxious.

So, I try to do everything in my power to avoid feeling anxiety.  And when I do feel anxiety, I want to do as much as I can to overcome this feeling of anxiety.

Coping with Anxiety

Uncertainty about the future makes me anxious in the present moment.  That might seem like a silly statement, but the present moment is the only moment that I have right now. Coping techniques that I have learned start with begin grounded.  I imagine that my feet are planted firmly in the earth and that I feel the earth’s energy rising through my body.  I feel strong when I imagine myself grounded to the earth.

Breathing Techniques

I try to discipline my mind by keeping my attention focused on the present.  What am I doing right now, whether it is making breakfast or brushing my teeth.  Staying focused in the present moment also helps to stop the bad images.

My go to remedy is one of breathing in a pattern that calms my nervous system.  For me that is an equal number of inhales and exhales, with a retention in between and a suspension at the end.  In other words, inhale = 8, retain =8, exhale = 8, and suspension = 8.  I do that for 12 times, working my way up the count starting with 6, doing an 8 count breath for 12 cycles, and then going back down.

HeartMath Techniques

Then I do my HeartMath technique of heart focused breathing and quick coherence. Breathing from the heart increases my heart coherence and lowers and or eliminates the anxiety.

At the end of these practices, I feel calm with little anxiety.  I still am uncertain about what will happen in the future, but now I am calm about not knowing. My practices have washed away the heavy anxiety from me.

So, yes, uncertainty fuels anxiety, but I don’t have to live with anxiety.  I can calm my nervous system so that I can function without anxiety while feeling better in my mind, body, and spirit.