Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Aug/Sept 2016 Aspire Mag Full Issue | Page 73
HEALTH & WELLNESS
clients, in addition to self-esteem issues, my
own anxiety exacerbated to psychosomatic
symptoms like headaches, neck and back
pain, TMJ, and ultimately panic attacks.
At the lowest point of my own anxiety battles,
I found a remedy in a most unexpected
place, and I offer the gift of this remedy to
my clients today. The remedy is not chemical
and it cannot be purchased. It doesn’t require
working even longer or harder to achieve
more and more and more. The antidote
to this worry and rumination simply lies in
seeing all the good we already possess. It
can be found in practicing gratitude.
The following are 8 ways to
reduce anxiety by contemplating
your gratitude:
1
Contemplate the people presently
in your life that you are grateful
for: Anxiety can be an isolating
experience. It keeps us stuck in a
negative mental loop, which can
occasionally lead us to avoid others,
or not be fully present when we are
with them. Take time to consider
the people in your life that you
are grateful for—friends, family,
neighbors, pastor, mail carrier,
doctor, hair stylist, restaurant server,
or even the stranger you just talked
with on line at the supermarket.
How do these people contribute to
bringing you joy or comfort? When
we remind ourselves of all the people
in our lives that make it better, we
feel calmer and more at peace. How
can you thank those you care about
2
for the positive impact they have on
your life? Expressing appreciation
brings us a sense of harmony and
brings us back into our hearts and out
of our heads. Savor your moments
with those you love and encounter in
your travels.
C
onsider the past relationships
you are grateful for: The loss
of relationships through death or
severed ties can leave us feeling
lonely, rejected, and e ven fearful
to fully connect in present or future
relationships. However, even a
relationship that ends provides us
with gifts. What memories do you
savor from these relationships?
You get to keep these. How did this
person help you learn, grow, or be a
better version of yourself? You get
to keep this wisdom and personal
growth too. No relationship is
wasted. We can decide to keep the
good from them, let go of hurt and
fear, and recognize that our future
connections, whether short or long,
will give us new gifts and joys.
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