Allow yourself to experience anxiety without resistance from "summary" of The Mindful Way through Anxiety by Susan M. Orsillo,Lizabeth Roemer
When anxiety arises, our natural tendency is to resist it. We try to push it away, ignore it, or distract ourselves from it. We may judge ourselves for feeling anxious, viewing it as a sign of weakness or failure. In our efforts to get rid of anxiety, we actually end up intensifying it. Resistance feeds anxiety, making it stronger and more persistent. It's like trying to push a beach ball underwater - the harder we push, the more it resists and pops back up. To break free from this cycle, we need to adopt a new approach: allowing ourselves to experience anxiety without resistance. This means acknowledging and accepting our anxiety without trying to change it or make it go away. It's about being willing to sit with our discomfort, rather than avoiding or fighting against it. Instead of viewing anxiety as a threat to be eradicated, we can see it as a natural part of the human experience - a signal that something important is happening within us. When we stop struggling against anxiety and instead allow ourselves to feel it fully, we discover that it loses some of its power over us. We realize that anxiety, while uncomfortable, is not dangerous or harmful. It's just a passing emotion, like any other. By opening ourselves up to anxiety with curiosity and compassion, we can learn from it and gain valuable insights about ourselves. Mindfulness is a key tool in this process of allowing anxiety to be present without resistance. By bringing our full attention to the present moment, we can observe our anxiety without getting caught up in it. We can notice the physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions that accompany anxiety, without getting swept away by them. This awareness helps us see anxiety for what it truly is - a temporary experience that does not define us. As we practice allowing ourselves to experience anxiety without resistance, we begin to cultivate a sense of inner peace and resilience. We develop the courage to face our fears and uncertainties head-on, knowing that we have the strength to handle whatever comes our way. Instead of being controlled by anxiety, we can learn to live with it as a companion on our journey through life.
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