Freedom from Anxiety checklist

As stresses rise, it's good to have a few go-to tools to bring the pressure d-o-w-n... Here's a checklist to have at your fingertips of proven ways to realign and come back to yourself.

1. Limit Exposure:

• Reduce screen and news time.
• Set specific times to check news or social media.
• Create device-free zones or times in your day.

2. Practice Present-Moment Awareness:

• Ask yourself grounding questions:
  • Am I safe in this moment?
  • What can I control right now?
  • Will worrying change anything?
• Support others by asking, "What do you need right now?" instead of saying, "Calm down."

3. Try Breathing Techniques:

• 4-7-8 Breath:
  • Exhale fully through your mouth.
  • Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
  • Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
  • Exhale slowly for 8 seconds.
  • Do this twice a day, 4 cycles at a time.

• Physiological Sigh:
  • Take a double inhale through your nose.
  • Follow with a long exhale through your mouth.
  • Use anytime to calm your nervous system.

4. Practice Mindfulness with the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique:

• 5 things you see: (e.g., your hands, a plant, the sky).
• 4 things you feel: (e.g., your feet on the ground, a ring on your finger).
• 3 things you hear: (e.g., your breath, music, wind).
• 2 things you smell: (e.g., coffee, soap).
• 1 thing you taste: (e.g., mint, toothpaste).

5. Create Your Protective Bubble:

• Visualize a golden light bubble around you.
• Imagine an outer electric blue shell dissolving negativity.
• Refill the bubble with golden light to feel reenergized and protected.

6. Shift Your Perspective:

• Recognize anxiety as a messenger for realignment with your values.
• Label your emotions (e.g., “I am feeling anxious, sad, or excited”).
• Question anxious thoughts:
  • Is this thought always true?
  • How can I respond constructively?
• Replace anxiety with empowering thoughts (e.g., “I’ve handled worse,” “I’ll do what I can and let go of the rest”).

7. Practice Self-Compassion:

• Speak to yourself like a coach, not a critic.
• Remind yourself, "I am not the voice of the mind—I am the one who hears it." (Michael Singer)

Take the time to recenter. It will change the tone of your whole day...