The Power of Mindfulness: Navigating Anxiety Through Self-Awareness

This week I had the opportunity to speak to Kevin Crispin, host of the Sad Times podcast. He shared with me his mental health struggles and how they’ve impacted him negatively and positively. 

One aspect of his struggle is having anxiety. He feels as though he’s more aware of his anxiety emotions than he is about day-to-day things like the weather. He tries to implement the advice from one of his former therapists to combat the overwhelm when it kicks in by being mindful. 

I know you might be rolling your eyes right now at the mention of the word ‘mindful’ since mindfulness is often thrown out there as a solution for so many things. It really is a helpful practice to help ease the burdens of the mind and reconnect with ourselves especially when we want to dodge the constant barrage of information, societal expectations, and the pursuit of success in the fast-paced world we frequently find ourselves in.  

The way that Kevin practices mindfulness is taking note and acknowledging what's literally right in front of him. If he’s making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich he notices the bread in the bag, taking the bread out of the bag, putting peanut butter and jelly on each slice of bread. He can continue being mindful as he eats his sandwich by noticing the sandwich as he eats it. It energizes the five senses by noticing how textures feel, the colors we see, the sounds it makes, how it tastes, and the scent of each ingredient.  

Mindfulness is a strategy that works because it gives our brain something to focus on rather than the thought spiral that is moving at lightning speed. It’s also something that’s tangible. You know you’re triggered and can go through a sequence of certain steps. 

It really allows us to observe our thoughts without judgement and instead with curiosity and acceptance. 

While this is a powerful technique to cope with anxiety in the moment it will only provide a short-term result since it doesn’t get to the root cause of the problem why the anxiety is actually present. 

EFT tapping is also an incredible strategy for helping to curb anxiety. It not only helps calm the mind in the moment but can get to the real reason for the anxiety. The key to getting lasting results with EFT tapping is to work with a certified practitioner since they will ask specific questions that address the many aspects of the anxiety from the emotions, beliefs, triggers, past experiences, and how it impacts your view of yourself. 

With this information they can create specific statements that reduce the emotional intensity and create new beliefs that feel aligned with where you want to be but aren’t unrealistic. 

When we are stuck in thought patterns and habitual reactions it’s hard to break free from autopilot mode and make intentional choices. If you want to be able to do this and let go of the anxiety that’s been crippling you, you can join us in the Tap it Away group and make your mental well-being a top priority. 

It can be tough to stay connected to our inner selves and have a shift in our perspective when we feel like we just can’t get on the other side of the anxiety. If you take time to deal with it as soon as you know you’ve been triggered by practicing mindfulness or EFT tapping, you’ll be able to navigate the anxiety with greater ease and see that it will dissipate since we won’t cling to it and see it isn’t permanent. 

You’ll be left with a newfound sense of resilience since you won’t stay in that anxious state as long, you won’t go as deeply into the spiral, and you won’t go there as often. It will leave you finding more joy and happiness rather than despair and hopelessness.