Hi,
This is Abbey.
Today we're going to do a mindfulness practice to help us when we're feeling stressed or anxious.
I recommend doing this when you feel calm and not when you're feeling stressed out,
And you can learn the tools now and then apply them later when you need that support.
The thing about stress and anxiety is that every human on this planet will feel it,
But we aren't always taught what to do when we feel it.
Stress usually feels like having too much to do,
And it can make our bodies feel tight or jittery,
And anxiety can feel similar,
And also anxiety can cause us to worry a lot.
It can make our minds feel busy.
It can make our stomachs fluttery or even achy and make our heart beat faster.
Anxiety can even make us feel other emotions like mad or sad or even afraid.
Can you think of a time when you felt a little bit anxious and what you noticed in your body?
Mindfulness,
Which means to pay attention to this moment with curiosity,
Is like a superpower that helps us when stress and anxiety show up.
When we practice mindfulness,
We learn to bring our attention to the present moment right now,
And it's like a magic trick that helps our minds and our bodies start to feel a little more calm.
When we are stressed or have a lot to do or feeling challenged,
Anxiety forgets that we can handle these challenging situations.
So,
In order to work with our anxiety,
We have to first notice it.
We can say,
I notice feeling anxious,
Or I notice my heart is beating fast,
Or I notice my body feels jittery.
Once we label our experience,
We can remind anxiety that we can handle this situation.
The other thing to keep in mind with anxiety is that sometimes it's better to move your body rather than sit.
So,
For this practice,
I will offer a little movement,
But in your daily life,
If you're noticing feeling stress or anxiety,
Remember it's okay to move around.
You don't have to sit still.
So,
Let's begin by finding a comfortable seat.
You can close your eyes or look down so your attention is on you.
We'll take a moment to notice how our bodies feel right now.
Being present to the sensations can help us in labeling our experience and navigating stress and anxiety.
So,
Take a breath in and then slowly let it out.
Begin by checking in with your heartbeat.
If it helps,
You can place your hands on your heart.
Now,
It might be tricky,
But notice if you can feel your heartbeat.
It's okay if you don't notice it right now.
If you do notice it,
Is your heart beating fast or slow?
Can you feel your breath move in your chest near your heart?
Take another slow breath in and a slow breath out.
Breathing in slowly through your nose and then breathing out gently through your nose or your mouth.
Now,
Notice if you feel any tension in your body.
Maybe you notice tension in your shoulders or your stomach,
Your jaw or your eyebrows.
Those are usually the places that let us know if we're feeling stressed or anxious.
So,
We'll quickly scan through the body from your toes to your head and just notice if there's any areas that feel tense or maybe you notice another sensation.
If you notice tension as you breathe in,
Just notice that tension and as you breathe out,
Try to release that tension.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Letting go of any stress or tension you feel in your body.
Try to let your body relax.
Place your hands on your knees in front of you with your palms up or your hands can just be right in front of you.
And first,
You're going to take your thumb and your index finger and you're going to lightly touch them together.
Now,
Your thumb and your middle finger.
Lightly touch them together.
Thumb and ring finger.
And then touch your thumb and your pinky finger.
Let's do this a few rounds.
So,
First touch your thumb and your index finger together.
Then your thumb and your middle finger.
Your thumb and your ring finger.
And your thumb and your pinky finger.
Thumb and index.
Thumb and middle.
Thumb and ring.
Thumb and pinky.
If you haven't done so already,
You can have both hands doing this.
So,
Both your thumbs touch each of your index fingers on each of your hands.
Thumbs to middle fingers.
Thumbs to ring fingers.
Thumbs to pinkies.
And I like to pair this movement with an affirmation.
So,
Whenever you do this,
You can choose the affirmation that feels right for you.
Things like,
I am so strong.
Or,
I practice feeling brave.
Or,
I totally got this.
Today,
We're going to say,
I can handle this.
Because anxiety wants us to think we can't handle things.
This is a reminder that we can.
So,
When your thumb and your index finger touch,
In your mind you will say,
I.
When your thumb and your middle finger touch,
In your mind you will say,
Can.
Thumb and ring finger,
Handle.
Thumb and pinky,
This.
Thumb and index,
I.
Thumb and middle,
Can.
Thumb and ring,
Handle.
Thumb and pinky,
This.
Thumb and index,
I.
Thumb and middle,
Can.
Thumb and ring,
Handle.
Thumb and pinky,
This.
So,
Continue the movement,
But the words are,
I can handle this.
I can handle this.
I can handle this.
So,
Let's practice this on our own for a couple of minutes.
You will know it is over by the sound of a singing bowl.
If you want to change your affirmation to something that feels better for you,
That's totally okay.
And if you don't want to tap your fingers and just say the affirmation in your head,
That's okay too.
Let's begin.
Notice how this practice felt for you.
Now,
Just take a moment and imagine that anxiety and stress are characters standing in front of you.
And look at them and kindly remind them,
We can handle this.
I can handle this.
Even when anxiety tells you that you can't handle something,
Remember,
You can.
With practice,
Navigating stress and anxiety can get a bit easier.
There are so many different practices out there,
And it's up to you to find the ones that work best for you.
As we finish our practice,
Remember that you are strong and you are capable,
And you do have the power to handle challenges and stress.
And think about a time during your day when it would be helpful for you to check in with how your body feels,
Or when it would be helpful to add an affirmation to support you.
Maybe you notice that you feel stress and anxiety when you have a lot of schoolwork or before taking a test,
Or maybe when you have to perform for sports or a concert or a play.
Maybe you notice it when you're meeting new people or trying something for the first time.
When you know ahead of time what might cause you to feel stress,
You can remember to check in with your body,
Try to release some tension,
And have an affirmation to support you.
Thank you for practicing with me.
