Freedom from Anxiety Checklist
Dec 09, 2024
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)