Anchors To Ground Us
I can’t believe it’s February already. I often find this month to be a long one, as it’s still Winter and it can be cold and dark. Spring is just around the corner but my impatience for the warmer days and lighter evenings gets the better of me.
As you may have noticed from my words – this is when I find it difficult to stay in the moment.
My friend is writing an article on anchors, so I thought what a good idea for this week’s blog. I’m feeling a bit jaded after a long cold winter, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on anchors I use to keep me grounded when I feel low or stressed. My first aid kit.
There are times when the other daily tools that I use for my general well-being don’t seem to be working and I can feel in a difficult space. We all have our rock bottom moments. Periods when life seems dull and challenging and we need to take a break from everyday activity.
If you’re like me and experience extreme mood swings, the lows can sometimes feel insurmountable. A time to administer extra dollops of self-care and compassion. This is when I turn to these anchors, to help me stay balanced and return to more of an even keel.
My suggestion is that you use some of them when you’re in a dark pit and see how effective they are for you. Take what works and leave the rest. This way you can compile your own First Aid tool kit.
I know they work for me, which is the best recommendation I can give.
CANDLE LIGHT
The flame of a candle can provide comfort in dark times, offering some encouragement that you’re not alone. There is something strangely reassuring about the flickering of the flame. I find watching the flame reassuring, and meditative.
Having a lit candle to stare into has a calming effect on my anxiety and over thinking. Sometimes, I carry a small nite-lite holder, when I’m at home, from room to room.
CARRY A TOUCHSTONE IN YOUR HAND
Carrying a personal talisman in your hand or pocket in tough times can help send a message to your brain that you’ll be OK. You’ve been here before and come through. You will survive this time as well.
Mine is a small green marble buddha with arms stretched out above her head, representing my courage to keep going. I carry it in the palm of my hand. The calming physical touch reassures me that all shall be well. It reminds me that I can stay in my power. Emotionally, I feel stronger and my spirits are lifted.
WRITE IN YOUR JOURNAL
Shout and scream on paper, with no restraint. Scrawl all over the page and swear to your heart’s content. No one is going to read this. Put the way you’re feeling down on paper and get it out of your head. I find that doing this can provide some release from my whirling mind. Getting my distressing thoughts down on paper, is like putting the mess in my head into a safe place.
If your anxiety is connected to something that’s happened that you feel incapable of dealing with, try this writing tip:
Write down the detail of the issue or event, describe what happened, and how you feel about it. Take a break from the writing for a while and then write again, in the same way. Repeat the process three or four times. When I do this, by the fourth time of writing, the emotional heat has often diminished. My perspective has shifted, or I’ve gained some fresh insight. Generally, I feel a lot lighter.
USE A SALT LAMP
When I’m in the caves, I keep close to the soothing orange glow of my salt lamp. I have one downstairs next to my favourite seat and one upstairs on my desk. The light is comforting and reassuring.
I find it can help boost my mood. The lamp can also help to neutralise the effect of electrical gadgets, releasing negative ions which cleanse the air quality.
WATCH A MOVIE
Disappear into someone else’s story for a couple of hours, with some coffee and chocolate or popcorn with no one to bother you. Helps to switch off and quieten the monkey mind for a while. When my mind is whirling from overthinking events, I find a movie to watch. Non violent, non scary – usually about relationships – is my choice.
When I do this, I often find something in the film’s story that gives me insight into my own situation, or simply provides me with welcome respite from the low mood. I always feel more relaxed afterwards.
I hope you’ve found some of these useful. They have certainly helped me find welcome relief in anxious times.
Thinking about the anchors that ground me has helped me realise that I do have quite a few. Too many for one blog. So, I shall continue with more tips to help ground us next week.
Author of ‘Wearing Red, One Woman’s Journey to Sanity’
Available at www.amazon.co.uk and www.browndogbooks.uk