“Don’t talk to strangers!” For some of us, this grim warning given by so many grown-ups during our childhood years seems to have gotten itself lodged firmly in our adult brains. But have you ever asked yourself what exactly you’re afraid of?
Tag: anxiety
10 Things a tarantula taught me
Until recently I would have never considered myself a brave person. To me, bravery meant being fearless, and I was definitely the polar opposite of fearless. But as I learned to think about and approach my fears differently, I started to feel ready to face one of the big ones… many-eyed wriggly things with eight legs. The opportunity presented itself to squash (figuratively – no spiders were harmed that day) my fear on an animal sanctuary tour early last year. To the immense surprise of everyone who knows me (not to mention my own surprise) I held big, scary, hairy tarantula! These are the lessons she taught me…
Bite-sized bit – Why do we keep fetching the baboon behind the hill?
Imagining that the worst lurks behind the next hill brings all the unnecessary feelings of fear and worry associated with that imagined future into the present.
Bite-sized bit – When you aren’t ready or able to let the darkness go, find some light to lighten your load
Reflecting on this past year may bring up painful memories for you. Some might feel fresh and raw and others more like a dull but persistent ache. It’s okay to remember and it’s okay to have those feelings.
Bite-sized bit – Scheduling for stress vs success
You can choose to get off your hamster wheel or treadmill or whatever other device of torture you have created for yourself – all it takes is a clear direction and a bit of smarter scheduling.
Raising resilient kids by taking the fear out of failure
I was a fearful child who grew into a fearful adult. I was afraid (and still am) of a great many things, but one of my top fears was the fear of failure. As I have learned to tame that fear I have realised how critical it is for us as parents to help our kids crush their fears while they are still at the “gnawing gently at the soul” phase, as opposed to the “savagely shredding the soul to pieces and then burning the bits” stage.
10 DO’s for supporting someone who is struggling with anxiety and / or panic
I hope this list can help you if you are at a loss as to how to support someone who is fighting their own life-eating leeches. Or, if you are that someone, you can choose to pass this list on to the super-heroes in your life who feel powerless to help you.
An attitude of gratitude can change your world
From that first day of gratitude journaling things began to shift, I started to see and experience things I had been taking for granted because I was actively looking for them throughout the day. The world didn’t change, but my outlook did – and that, in turn, changed my world.
Affirmations: Words that have the power to help lessen anxiety and panic
So what exactly is an affirmation? It’s a statement which challenges your negative thoughts and helps you get into a more positive I believe they work because they drown out all our negative mental chatter with something positive. We can grab on to those words like a bright pink doughnut pool floatie in the dark and tumultuous sea of our own negative thoughts. Then we can hold on tight until those words carry us to calmer seas and warm, sunny shores which mark the beginning of endless possibilities.mindset.
A year as a support group facilitator: These are some of the lessons I have learned…
Towards the end of last year I was offered the opportunity to facilitate a depression and anxiety support group. I hope that gathering all of these lessons I’ve been privileged enough to learn will inspire you to leap at the opportunity you’re considering running away from.
Portal to Change 