3 Ways to Reduce Anxiety by Expanding Your Present Moment Awareness

Maintaining balance and inner peace is challenging for all of us right now as we navigate the rough seas of this intense shift in human consciousness. But, before we can shift our anxiety to inner peace, we have to become mindful of it. When we’re in fear or anxiety, we are in our head either worrying about the past or future. By bringing our attention from our head to our heart, we come into present awareness where anxiety doesn’t exist.  

Present awareness invites you to the simplicity of existence—the peaceful, unworried level of pure consciousness. It is here you are grounded in your own being. When you are consciously present, you are tuned in to a broader spiritual perspective. Such awareness bypasses logical thinking and awakens an inner knowing through your heart. This allows you to notice, appreciate, and pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, and sensations in any given moment.  

The power of present awareness gives you access to a greater wealth of information to support your spiritual growth and well-being. Such higher awareness overrides negative thoughts and allows you to tune in to your spirit to guide you. You have powerful intuitive moments when you channel information that comes directly from your divine source. These divine downloads are when your heart expands, time stands still, and you tap into the essence of your soul. 

1.Practice Slow, Deep, Intentional Breathing: Whenever you feel anxiety, pause, take a deep breath, and exhale slowly. You can begin to expand your present awareness through deep breathing. Slowing down and deepening your breath draws more oxygen into your body which reduces anxiety and restores balance to your nervous system.  

Begin with putting your hand on your heart center and focusing on your breath, inhaling through your nose and exhaling out your mouth. On your inhale count up to five seconds as you breathe all the way in, and on your exhale draw your breath out for ten seconds. Practice this until your breath is rhythmic, moves from your chest to your belly, and you feel calm and centered. Then stay here for at least a minute, open your heart and let your energies expand outward in gratitude and compassion for yourself.  

A regular deep breathing practice through prayer, yoga, or meditation can help you remain calm when you find yourself in anxiety-producing situations. 

2.Practice Mindfulness Meditation and Movement: Being present is being a conscious observer of your life. Practice by going outside for a twenty-minute walk. Do so without your phone or iPod as a distraction. Before you start to walk, stand on the earth, and draw your attention down to your feet. Tap them lightly in place and notice how your feet feel against the earth. Feel the earth rise up to meet you. 

As you begin to walk, notice that you don’t need to think about moving your legs. They know what to do so you can simply notice the rhythm of your breath in and out. Now shift your focus to your steps and how your body feels as it moves one step in front of the other. Observe yourself taking a step forward toward the future and then releasing your back foot, letting go of the past. The space between your steps is the present. Pay attention to this space as you walk and put your intentions for the day in this space. 

Practice daily activities like cooking, cleaning, washing dishes, eating, shopping, walking, and driving with conscious awareness, participating in them with the intention of being fully present in the moment. 

3.Practice Present Awareness Instead of Over-Awareness: By practicing heart-centered attention, you bring yourself into higher/present awareness. Aligning your mind with your heart creates a flow of energy which bypasses the over-awareness of the brain and allows you to intuit freely. You go to a place inside where there are no beliefs, only all-inclusive non-judgmental awareness. You get in touch with your true self and love which exists in present awareness. In this peaceful state of pure awareness, there is no fear. 

Close your eyes, place your hand on your heart, and drop into your heart space. Take a few deep breaths while inhaling and exhaling. Now visualize a pearl of while light in the center of your chest, in your heart center. Feel the divine light filling your entire heart space and expanding outward in all directions. When you are open-hearted and centered, your higher awareness expands and reveal better outcomes and solutions. 

As you move through your day, selectively tune into the energies of others or your environment. Like a telescope, zoom in on the positive energies and zoom out of the negative energies.  

Be present. Be totally immersed in this moment You can’t be unhappy with life if you are in the present!  

I’ve recorded a Facebook live on this topic, that you can watch here.