Let’s make a 5 point action plan of how we can reduce anxiety about the situation. In this blog we will cover the second point.
We all have parts of ourselves that play different roles.
For instance, imagine you have some cake in front of you and some fruit. Part of your mind will say “Take the cake! It will taste so good!”, and part of you will say “Take the fruit, it’s healthier!” Both parts are doing what they think is best for you, For example, our inner child only sees the emotional benefits of cake, that it tastes good, it temporarily gives us a feel-good high.
A child doesn’t have the adult perspective of the potential consequences.
So, both parts of you are doing their best to give you benefits. It’s just that like with children and adults in general, they disagree on what is best for you in the moment. One is thinking about the benefits of the temporary moment, and the other is aware of the long term.
In the same way, imagine the anxiety is like an inner part of you that is afraid, and is trying to bring your attention to the danger.
Let’s me introduce you to a friend of mine, Mike the Monkey! Mike the Monkey is the small part of us living within us, that is anxious.
Because Mike is almost like an inner child, Mike can only see the present worry as the whole universe. He thinks that life will always be this way, and it will feel this way forever. Mike eternalizes the problem. And he thinks of all the worse case scenarios. Like children experience, anxiety is only in the present and can be overwhelming, and cannot offer balanced perspective.
But we are the wise compassionate adult witness – that’s the muscle we’ve been strengthening through meditation.
Through self-awareness, we can best support our inner adult by stepping back as adults do, and looking at the whole situation from a broader perspective. From that higher place, we can re-educate the anxious child part of you with self-compassion.
Again, I understand that many of you have real concerns to deal with right now. But who would you rather have help you to solve a problem you are facing? Your anxiety that lives in a very limited, child-like universe, or a compassionate, centered, calm adult that can face the situation with courage?
Ashok
Ashok Gupta is the Director of the Gupta Program. He has dedicated his life to helping people get their life back from Chronic Illness, improving people’s well-being, and helping them achieve their potential. He has been teaching meditation around the world for over 15 years. He runs a global e-clinic specializing in treating ME, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia & Multiple Chemical Sensitivities – guptaprogram.com
Ashok has spent many years researching the brain neurology of emotion and linking well-being tools with science. He has published medical papers on the basis of stress-related illnesses. He has appeared in many media as an expert on stress on the BBC, CNN, Guardian Newspaper, ITV, The Independent, and many others.
He wrote and presented the Meaning of Life Experiment which is a Free, Award-winning Meditation and Self-Development App www.themeaningoflife.tv
He also works with companies around the world, teaching courses in Leadership, Time Management, and Personal Development. www.ashokgupta.tv