Giving ourselves the “permission to pause” is an important tool in shifting our anxiety to spiritual opportunity. It provides time and space to gain healthy detachment in any situation that arouses a physical, mental, or emotional reaction.
When we push the pause button, we can step away from the person or situation, take some deep breaths, and drop into our heart space. This helps us refrain from reacting from our fear and responding with love. Besides interrupting our knee-jerk reactions, we can consciously observe the situation from a more expansive spiritual perspective.
Taking such a purposeful break affords you the opportunity to explore the root of your negative mindsets, beliefs, and the self-destructive patterns that they trigger. Keep in mind that the trigger is usually not the emotional root of your anxiety.
In other words, “the thing is not the thing.” Sitting with and diving deep into your feelings of anxiety allows you to tune into the spiritual information that it is showing you. Your anxiety lets you know what unresolved issues need to be healed and what feelings need to be released. This healing and release process can lead to personal transformation and making healthy life changes.
Let’s take my client Chris for example.
Chris came to me suffering from severe anxiety including panic attacks. For most of his life, he had been tormented by anxiety especially around the issue of being able to provide for his family.
Recently, he had been concerned about facing possible financial ruin because of a bad real estate deal. His feelings of anxiety haunted him at night as he had trouble sleeping and paced through his house while his family slept, asking himself, “Why am I allowing fear and anxiety to run my life?”
Over several sessions, I showed Chris how to recognize that his anxiety was a “flag” that there were unresolved emotional issues. His anxiety was alerting him to his negative mindsets that stemmed from a lack of trust in himself and his connection to source. In his mind, “I don’t have enough” translated to “I’m not enough.”
This negative mentality was triggering a self-destructive pattern of scarcity, fueling his need to control everything in his life and perpetuating his role as a victim of circumstances.
Then I encouraged him to observe his anxiety and see it as part of his spiritual guidance system, and ask himself, “What is my anxiety telling me about myself and any unresolved issues?” From this viewpoint Chris’ anxiety was not trying to upset him or make his life miserable. On the contrary, it was trying to get his full attention.
As a result, he began to see how, if left unaddressed, his unresolved pain would continue to cause him anxiety and undermine his sense of well-being. He also saw how his anxious reactions could assist him in realizing that he was stuck in a fear-based pattern and needed to make a choice, any choice to get unstuck and move past it.
Another tool for preventing an emotional reaction is a visual cue, such as a stop sign, comma, or pause button. Envisioning such a cue, or having it displayed near a phone or desk, or on a computer screen, where situations may arise that provoke reaction or anxiety, can be an automatic reminder to stop, release a reaction, and then respond consciously.
Finally, watching yourself as if in slow motion will give you more time to become aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Slowing down moves us into a more present state and ultimately, supports the release of these emotions. It is difficult to release anxiety when, on an emotional scale of one to ten, you have already moved to a nine or ten.
Shifting our anxiety to spiritual opportunity allows us to become more proactive instead of reactive, shifting our energy from negative to positive. In this way, we can view our anxiety, as excitement and a reminder that something new is on the horizon and an opportunity to transform our lives.
** Do you or a loved one struggle with anxiety? Download my FREE Anxiety SOS Support Kit today at http://bit.ly/AnxietySOS
love the idea of watching oneself in slow motion- have done that it is fascinating and often brings clarity to a challenge. Yes the pause provides calm and time for reflection that can be so freeing and allow us to listen to and follow out heart xxoo
I am looking forward to seeing what you are creating Debra. I know anxiety can be a great message in my life when I slow down and connect to what is happening in the moment.💜
Pausing is such a empowering act of self-nurturing Debra! For me pausing, connecting with my breath, and observing what has been triggered supports me in responding instead of reacting. Seeing this process as a spiritual opportunity is a beautiful reframe and exploring what the emotion is teaching us leads us to feeling less victimized by our emotions and more empowered in the process. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and loving approach of pushing the pause button!
Our “issues” always are opportunities for deeper reflection
Hi Debra, This is another great post. Permission to PAUSE is a big yes for me! There is so much speed in life and staying in the space forces us out of our consciousness, which I believe is one of the greatest causes of anxiety as the brain waves shift into beta and stay there. Anxiety is a challenge for so many and the way you shared about the topic makes it relatable and comfortable for people to be okay with and to feel HOPE. Great work!
Appreciating this creative suggestion, Deb, “Finally, watching yourself as if in slow motion will give you more time to become aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. ” There’s so much good going on in my life and business often …yet anxiety erodes this joy. Hugs xo
Such excellent advice on how to deal with anxiety – sometimes, just pausing and getting back into the present is exactly how I shift away from anxiety and into peace.
This is such a precious reminder, Debra! It’s a sped up world we live in and the power is in the pause! xo Thank you!
Our bodies talk to us all the time if we would only slow down and listen to it.
Giving ourselves “permission to pause” is so very important. I have always felt that way without putting it into words. I have taken more moments to pause lately and it helps me tremendously in so many ways.
I do love the advice you gave to your client. Thanks for sharing the story.
What a useful reminder to pause! Thank you. 🦋