A shared practice
Alleviating Anxiety
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Created bySean Fargo
From Sean's stress-and-anxiety collection — recorded in his own voice.
In Sean Fargo’s own voice6 min
Read along — the full script
So let's start with a mindfulness exercise for alleviating anxiety by finding a posture that feels relaxed and alert. Finding a comfortable position, whether you're standing, sitting, or lying down, and just settle yourself by relaxing your body, taking some deep breaths, and allowing any tension to be released. You can gently close your eyes or look downward just to limit visual distractions as you settle into the different physical senses and into the space around you.
Now try scanning your awareness through your body, bringing your awareness into the physical sensations of your body as you start to get a sense of the underlying mood or energies. Remember, this isn't about getting rid of anxiety, no matter how strong the temptation may be. It's about relating to it with more openness and less judgment.
So again, just gently bringing your attention to the physical sensations of the body, perhaps noting the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe. Feeling the movement of breath come in and out of your body. Just feeling the sensations, breathing naturally.
In and out. Some people find it useful to place a hand on the belly. Just continuing to follow the breath in that way. Just being present with the physical sensations of the breath. And as soon as you realize that the mind has wandered off, which it will pretty often, I'd like you to just gently note whether you were distracted by thinking or feeling of a physical sensation.
Thinking or feeling. And then gently bring the attention back to the rising and falling sensations of the breath. Just bringing the attention back over and over into the body, into the sensations of breathing. Now, as we complete this mindfulness exercise, see if you can notice any sounds or smells around you.
Bringing awareness back into the other physical senses. Expanding your awareness to include sounds. And as you gently open your eyes, take a moment to appreciate that feeling of having stopped for a while. To feel how you feel right now.
And remind yourself that this mindfulness exercise and everyday life are not separate. It may feel very different right now, but the idea is to work toward a place where this feels like a seamless transition from one thing to the next. Well done.
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