Mindful Core

How to silence anxiety with mindfulness?

Deadlines are part of the game, right?

Here’s a simple framework that might help:
1.    Awareness
2.    Acceptance
3.    Action
4.    Presence
It helps manage anxiety and cultivate mindfulness.
Let’s see how to use it.

1.    Awareness
So, let’s say you’re feeling “so-and-so” — maybe a bit worried.
To start, take a moment to notice how you’re feeling.

Ask yourself:
→    How am I feeling?

Maybe a bit overwhelmed?
Maybe a bit anxious?
Maybe just a bit stressed out?
Look around and see what’s going on in your work environment.
What tasks are on your plate?
Take a few deep breaths and jot down your thoughts and feelings.
Just observe without judging.

2.    Acceptance
Okay, we’re more aware now, right?
And now?
Now, accept that these feelings are part of your current reality.
Do you know the power of radical acceptance?
I talked about that a few days ago.
It’s exactly what we need for this second step.
We just need to accept that it’s okay to feel this way.
Being anxious doesn’t make us less capable.
So, grab a pen and paper again and write down this new “acceptance.”

Write something like:
→    “It’s okay to feel anxious — this is how I’m feeling right now.”

3.    Action
Alright, now it’s time to take action.

Ask yourself:
→    What’s one small step I can take to address this anxiety?

For example, you might say:
→    “You know what, I’m gonna set a timer to focus on one thing at a time”
Or
→    “I’ll spend 30 minutes on this task and then take a 5-minute break”
This way, you’ll feel less overwhelmed with work, right?

4.    Presence
Okay, final step.
We can’t be mindful without being present, right?
Anxiety can’t exist with presence.

So, as you carry out your action plan, do this:
→    Try to stay focused on the present moment

How?
By keeping your attention on what you’re doing right now.
And if you find your mind wandering?
Just gently bring your focus back to the task at hand.
And if you start stressing about future tasks?
Do the same — gently bring your attention back to what you’re doing.

Now the question is:
→    Is it easy?
Nope — but we can improve, right?
How?

For me, meditation helps a lot.
It’s like a workout for my daily focus.