Tara, It is meaningful to me that you used the word “addiction ” to worry. As a child , I experienced insecure ambivalent attachment trauma and became addicted to ritual behaviors, and as an adult when I experienced a life threatening depression , I became addicted to alcohol. I am thinking the same parts of our brain and nervous system are changed and impacted by an addiction to worry, an addiction to ritual behavior, an addiction to substances. Therefore, caring for ourselves by befriending our nervous system (R.A.I.N. practice is one I often use) can be very helpful. Thank you, Esther Sadie
This is so very helpful thank you Tara – as always!
I am not a therapist but a coach and facilitator and I suffer with chronic anxiety. This practice will really help.
worry has been always in my life, my parents are worriers so I grew up in a context where fear was present every day. that’s how I learned to live my life. everything is dangerous or a threat, it’s exausting, energy-consuming and it makes me feel like, tired, really. I WANT IT TO CHANGE, Thanks Tara for this resource
Worry has always been an issue for me. Meditation has helped me get better control of my thinking. This practice I think will help me get even better. Thanks!
When I get worry, first pause and analyze it. It is worthy to take my time in something that maybe never will happen? so I make the decision to wait for the moment to come and then I will resolve if a problem o situation appear.
I’m definitely addicted to worry, in the sense that it feels compulsive. Once an anxiety response has been triggered by a thought or an external event, it quickly gathers momentum, and the more painful it feels, the harder it gets to manage it. I find that it helps to feel the feelings, but stop telling the story that always accompanies them. That way the link between anxious thoughts and feelings is broken, however briefly
Maryellen Romero, Psychology, Phoenix, AZ, USAsays
I find that many of my patients hang on to anxiety like a life preserver, thinking that they’re “prepared” for assumed negative future events and not seeing that they’re actually being held hostage by their fears. I also see many patients for whom their anxiety is an inherent part of their identity, and the thought of letting their worry go often leads to a significant existential crisis.
I find it interesting how addiction to worry can result in addiction (food, screens, substances); the addiction sometime taking hold as an escape from worry. This pattern becomes an endless loop chasing an approximation of happy, a cloying, suffocating numbness. It can be so easy in the beginning too scoff at the benefits of stillness, of grounding. I think of starting my day, of enjoying my coffee and just being with my little puppy, with my breath. There are many days that start with tears of both laughter and gratitude.
Thank you, Tara. I have listened to and learned so much from you.
In post-traumatic situations, especially those that are chronic and complex, the stored memories, in the broadest sense, of lived experience play a key role in fear conditioning. They deepen the neural grooves of fear, so that anxiety and a deeply felt of immediacy, if not existential threat, fall right in. The broad logic of fear thinking immediately deems it so and summons the easiest facets of memory to recall as summoning evidence. The fear loop is perpetuated. I am confident that Tara does not intend to trivialize the fear habit, since the conditioning of the prior trauma is systemic, i.e., “rationalized” by the entire system.
dear tara
i worry too much about work. About not getting enough done fast enough or well enough. i know I’m a smart educated woman so most of my worry is about declining with age and being alone. i worry about how to cope when my dog dies. i will try these strategies and talk back to this fear talk. affirmations do help me and gratuities Journaling and rigorous exercise. staying in the present is a challenge so I’m doing the hm program to ground me in my body. thank you for all the wonderful work you do you’ve made a huge diffetence for me as i come back from a burnout stage to reinvent /reinvest in myself.
c
Anne Lastname, Another Field, Anycity, FL, USAsays
I have found it useful to make a distinction between worry-thinking that can be useful/helpful, and worry-thinking that is just grinding myself up pointlessly. The ones to pay attention to, it seems to me, are the ones that help me calm down about whatever it is I’m worried about. An example for me might be the kind of worry-thinking that involves planning good, healing, assertive, but kind words for any difficult conversation that is coming up. Another example is saying to myself, yes, that MIGHT happen, but not necessarily, and if it does, I can respond [in a specific good way]. I call this “de-escalating my worries”: instead of just pointlessly worry-worry-worrying, this kind of thinking sets me on the path of NOT worrying.
But yes, as Tara and Mark Twain said, we can get addicted to antipicating things that never happen, and even de-escalating one’s worries is then wasted effort.
The self feeding mindset of habitually running the same old mind program . I have done my fair share of this condition. Rumination in the mind requires you to take back the control of (, who is driving this bus ) I am the driver of this internal relationship and therefore I am choosing to take back the wheel of my internal self.
That sounds pretty normal given the heightened state of arousal we have all been living in for the pat three plus year. We are all in this one together, friend.
You nailed it with the use of the word ‘strangle’. My throat gets so tight it aches and chest so tight I can barely breathe. I find that I tend to hold my breath …which of course causes me to get light headed. Then I beat myself up with the negative internal dialogue. By this time I’m so caught up I can’t focus on whatever it is I should be doing. It’s defeating. There are times I get so lost in my anxious trance I miss entire days where I cannot remember what I did!
My worry thoughts used to serve me well. Now my children are grown, I am retired, and I have more time available to them. They seem to have taken me over. Thank you Tara, for this free series. I think it will help me learn to meet my fear thoughts and figure out what they need.
Thank you. I found the phrase “addicted to worry” very helpful in itself, to acknowledge that this is what happens. We are addicted. When I worry repeatedly about something I often try to do something that will get me out of that trance. For example, focus on joy, gratitude and something that makes me feel confident.
Thanks so much for your videos Tara. Great for me and my clients. I’m reading Gay Hendricks, “The Big Leap” at the moment and not surprised to find that worrying is an “Upper Limit Problem”. As you say we are anxious about failing…
Best,
Noelle
Oh Yes, chronic worry has been a part of my life for a long time…I wish that I had become more aware so much earlier, but hey, I’m doing it now!! And what a relief!! I believe that chronic worry shaped my life very deeply, falsely thinking that it was a very big part of problem solving, and it was just what happened when my mind felt like oh, now it has some juicy stuff to get very stressed and afraid about, yippee! Really, I felt like my body and mind kind of felt secure with this fear anxiety, and most likely, that was the addiction to this cyclical fretting and worrying. I do feel that since I now have more love and compassion for myself, that has helped chronic worry greatly. Self compassion has been big for me, and I recommend it to everyone 💟‼️
I resonate with the feelings of chronic worry and cyclical thought loops that become habituated over time. Self-doubt is often at the center. I always appreciate Tara’s guidance and know regular practice is the way to true behavioral change.
Worry is unavoidable and as long as I practice how to make myself to face it with gentleness and confidence, it is meaningless to comment on it. When I think about what is yet to come with positivity and optimism, I make my way to face everything. Hope I get more opportunities to express and share my worries with friends.
Worry is unavoidable and as long as I practice how to make myself to face it with gentleness and confidence, it is meaningless to comment on it. When I think about what is yet to come with positivity and optimism, I make my way to face everything.
Reilly Johnson, Counseling, Williamsburg, VA, USAsays
Please do not add music behind your speaking on your videos. Even though it is pretty music, it is very distracting to some of us who are highly musical. The music is communicating its own message, and that competes with the message you are speaking and makes it hard to really hear you deeply. So please consider letting the background be peaceful and silent. Thank you very much.
I agree. Thanks for posting. The content is so rich, I want to focus only on that and the music is intrusive (I’m also a musician, so I’m attuned, so to speak, to background music wherever I go).
Having chronic anxiety has led me to addiction to worry/food/alcohol/people’s approval. A sense of unworthiness has kept me small and prevents me from living life to the fullest, in relationships with others including family, friends and colleagues.
I appreciate you Tara so much for the many podcasts including these videos. Thank you for helping me heal and to live.
It’s exhausting and without mindfulness it can become all consuming. I noticed so many of my conversations with friends have become about my fears My concerns about what may happen have caused anxiety in others as they worry about me. I need to ask myself actually what is my reality? What is really happening now?
My family are great worriers. Its almost as if you get a badge for worry. In my life I have noticed that when I finally notice the loop, I can start to sort through what is important and real and what is catastrophizing. I started making notes so my brain knows it’s recorded. I then take action. It was then I noticed the body sensations improve or release. I learned this myself when a councilor said imagine the worst outcome and the best. Thats the situation.
Now to take it a step further and move into my body as allowing, loving kindness and releasing will certainly make the process easier for my body. The recent world events and losses have stuck fear into my body. Thanks for this as we all really need this beautiful practice. You’re a shining light Tara! We use your meditations and teachings for our wellness groups. Many blessings.
Oh yeah, this ones gets to me!! I try to keep a global picture to rate my worry as small and a bit frantic for nothing. My new term is “first world problem” to help me get perspective.
While a work in progress, I’m slowly learning that, in fact, my current way of being- slow, low achieving and unproductive ( NOTE: these words are my inner voice speaking ) as a result of three concurrent accidents is actually a gift, allowing me to recognize my habituated, highly energized anxious state of living a ridiculous self proclaimed “ A” type lifestyle, might very be upside down and inside out.
Meaning – my externally focussed life from my past was habitual anxiety and I was caught in a constant fight state, whereas being forced by injury to slowing down has allowed me to listen and learn from the inside – to my own body and nurture and care for ME – myself is quite frankly, liberating! Im trying to stay present with all my judgemental beliefs and thoughts which have sabotaged living authentically and in the moment. A work in progress but thank you Tara for your inspiration!
Being anxious is my baseline normal, so often I don’t know what thoughts are causing these feelings. I guess I am addicted to these feelings as I have had them most of my life and I am 68 yrs old now!! The source of my anxiety, I think, is that I feel I have to stay in control of what is going on to avoid doom and disaster. It’s very hard to always be in control of what occurring, so I am setting myself up for failure for sure!! Hard to let this go and just let what happens, happen. Working on it always and life circumstances are forcing me to do it as well which is one of those life lessons you didn’t wish for but you may be grateful for looking back.
chad kourajian, Another Field, bismarck, ND, USAsays
I’ve contracted Tinnitus in the past year. It can become a consuming thought to worry about how bad it will be today, or consider the fact it is never going away. Its easy to become addicted to thinking about it.
Unconscious addiction to worry is experiencing a hell realm in all its fury and limiting force. It chokes the very seed of life, preventing from experiencing life, joy, love, and all the jewels of this world. Ultimately it keeps us stranded: far from recognising our primordial nature. Tears flow from witnessing this state in oneself and others, often unable to do much but to slowly retrace our steps, returning home. And it could take years or lifetimes for some.
Thanks to you I am now okay about recognizing my addiction to worry and can relax without negative self judgment when I think I can’t finish something, or fix something or someone. Message received when growing up was that I was responsible for other peoples’ feelings. Worry: would I meet others’ expectations.
I used to say “I’m a worry-worm by nature”. But I’m not sure if this is true. I know that my life in general has deteriorated over time: I can’t seem to keep a job for whatever the reasons may be (whether my own failure or not), I’m not in a meaningful and lasting romantic relationship for decades now, I’m not in a strong financial position either; and I had the greatest start and many high achievements in academia and early career opportunities. Whether my choices or life circumstances – I did not fulfill what I was destined to achieve and what others predicted I’d achieve and over time – this has become more difficult, I fell into the common trap of self criticism and the constant worry and pessimism just perpetuated and enforced the path of self perceived failure which holds me down to this day. I’m 45 and I see myself as a failure and cannot seem to dig myself out of this hole neither mentally nor practically…
Intellectually I know I am capable of creating a life I dream of, with a fulfilling business of my own. Everytime I take steps to create it, I worry about using too much money, or not doing it effectively, and making my financial situation worse. self doubt stops me each time.
Nikki Cappert, Another Field, Appleton, WI, USAsays
oh yes, I’ve recognized the prison I’ve created for myself for a while now. sleepless nights, tightening body, obsessive thoughts. I will continue to meditate and can add this new one based around my fears to start my day. I tell everyone I know how important self love is, how strong they really are. I will continue to tell myself and treat myself as I would treat my precious friend.
No matter how much cognitive work I do to understand the origins of the worry reaction to daily life, it doesn’t shift unless I make it a practise – by identifying it and seeing it as ‘other’ than myself and the present moment. It’s very painful and hard to do and still my default mode is to doubt (myself, others, life itself) and get stuck in a loop of acute planning. It’s a malfunctioning machine that I’m hoping to repair.
I’d never really been a worrier – it crept up on me as I reached 60 and had covid-enforced early retirement. Mini panic attacks, strange bodily sensations and anticipatory unease became the norm. My GP (doctor) could find no physical cause which left psychological/emotional/spiritual dis-ease. Tara is helping me identify, allow and accept, and nurture myself with these these scary moments, which are part of me.
Thank you
I often feel strangled by anxiety and worry thoughts. Fear of failure, perfectionism, and self doubt can really grab hold of me. These videos and steps are so helpful. Thank you Tara
Thank you Tara. I love listening to your voice and the straight and clear messages when you communicate wth us.
This is eyeopening!
Tara, It is meaningful to me that you used the word “addiction ” to worry. As a child , I experienced insecure ambivalent attachment trauma and became addicted to ritual behaviors, and as an adult when I experienced a life threatening depression , I became addicted to alcohol. I am thinking the same parts of our brain and nervous system are changed and impacted by an addiction to worry, an addiction to ritual behavior, an addiction to substances. Therefore, caring for ourselves by befriending our nervous system (R.A.I.N. practice is one I often use) can be very helpful. Thank you, Esther Sadie
love this! thank you! ❤️
Thank you . That makes sense to me.
This is so very helpful thank you Tara – as always!
I am not a therapist but a coach and facilitator and I suffer with chronic anxiety. This practice will really help.
Many thanks and blessings to you.
Tina
I know I can’t deal with it if I don’t put into practice the many disciplines you mention. I need to believe in myself and love myself.
Definitely need to work on this. I am known to over worry.
worry has been always in my life, my parents are worriers so I grew up in a context where fear was present every day. that’s how I learned to live my life. everything is dangerous or a threat, it’s exausting, energy-consuming and it makes me feel like, tired, really. I WANT IT TO CHANGE, Thanks Tara for this resource
Worry has always been an issue for me. Meditation has helped me get better control of my thinking. This practice I think will help me get even better. Thanks!
When I get worry, first pause and analyze it. It is worthy to take my time in something that maybe never will happen? so I make the decision to wait for the moment to come and then I will resolve if a problem o situation appear.
I’m definitely addicted to worry, in the sense that it feels compulsive. Once an anxiety response has been triggered by a thought or an external event, it quickly gathers momentum, and the more painful it feels, the harder it gets to manage it. I find that it helps to feel the feelings, but stop telling the story that always accompanies them. That way the link between anxious thoughts and feelings is broken, however briefly
I find that many of my patients hang on to anxiety like a life preserver, thinking that they’re “prepared” for assumed negative future events and not seeing that they’re actually being held hostage by their fears. I also see many patients for whom their anxiety is an inherent part of their identity, and the thought of letting their worry go often leads to a significant existential crisis.
I think this might just be the key.
I find it interesting how addiction to worry can result in addiction (food, screens, substances); the addiction sometime taking hold as an escape from worry. This pattern becomes an endless loop chasing an approximation of happy, a cloying, suffocating numbness. It can be so easy in the beginning too scoff at the benefits of stillness, of grounding. I think of starting my day, of enjoying my coffee and just being with my little puppy, with my breath. There are many days that start with tears of both laughter and gratitude.
Thank you, Tara. I have listened to and learned so much from you.
Namaste
Renee
how bout climate catastrophy? We avoid the healthy reaction to be alarmed/to wake up by fear. Fear o fear makes us denying – and so we get numb.
In post-traumatic situations, especially those that are chronic and complex, the stored memories, in the broadest sense, of lived experience play a key role in fear conditioning. They deepen the neural grooves of fear, so that anxiety and a deeply felt of immediacy, if not existential threat, fall right in. The broad logic of fear thinking immediately deems it so and summons the easiest facets of memory to recall as summoning evidence. The fear loop is perpetuated. I am confident that Tara does not intend to trivialize the fear habit, since the conditioning of the prior trauma is systemic, i.e., “rationalized” by the entire system.
dear tara
i worry too much about work. About not getting enough done fast enough or well enough. i know I’m a smart educated woman so most of my worry is about declining with age and being alone. i worry about how to cope when my dog dies. i will try these strategies and talk back to this fear talk. affirmations do help me and gratuities Journaling and rigorous exercise. staying in the present is a challenge so I’m doing the hm program to ground me in my body. thank you for all the wonderful work you do you’ve made a huge diffetence for me as i come back from a burnout stage to reinvent /reinvest in myself.
c
I have found it useful to make a distinction between worry-thinking that can be useful/helpful, and worry-thinking that is just grinding myself up pointlessly. The ones to pay attention to, it seems to me, are the ones that help me calm down about whatever it is I’m worried about. An example for me might be the kind of worry-thinking that involves planning good, healing, assertive, but kind words for any difficult conversation that is coming up. Another example is saying to myself, yes, that MIGHT happen, but not necessarily, and if it does, I can respond [in a specific good way]. I call this “de-escalating my worries”: instead of just pointlessly worry-worry-worrying, this kind of thinking sets me on the path of NOT worrying.
But yes, as Tara and Mark Twain said, we can get addicted to antipicating things that never happen, and even de-escalating one’s worries is then wasted effort.
The self feeding mindset of habitually running the same old mind program . I have done my fair share of this condition. Rumination in the mind requires you to take back the control of (, who is driving this bus ) I am the driver of this internal relationship and therefore I am choosing to take back the wheel of my internal self.
I worry that I am killing myself with worry. How messed up is that!
That sounds pretty normal given the heightened state of arousal we have all been living in for the pat three plus year. We are all in this one together, friend.
You nailed it with the use of the word ‘strangle’. My throat gets so tight it aches and chest so tight I can barely breathe. I find that I tend to hold my breath …which of course causes me to get light headed. Then I beat myself up with the negative internal dialogue. By this time I’m so caught up I can’t focus on whatever it is I should be doing. It’s defeating. There are times I get so lost in my anxious trance I miss entire days where I cannot remember what I did!
I’ve an addiction to look for faults in my passed behavior which makes me anxious.
My worry thoughts used to serve me well. Now my children are grown, I am retired, and I have more time available to them. They seem to have taken me over. Thank you Tara, for this free series. I think it will help me learn to meet my fear thoughts and figure out what they need.
Thank you. I found the phrase “addicted to worry” very helpful in itself, to acknowledge that this is what happens. We are addicted. When I worry repeatedly about something I often try to do something that will get me out of that trance. For example, focus on joy, gratitude and something that makes me feel confident.
Thanks so much for your videos Tara. Great for me and my clients. I’m reading Gay Hendricks, “The Big Leap” at the moment and not surprised to find that worrying is an “Upper Limit Problem”. As you say we are anxious about failing…
Best,
Noelle
Oh Yes, chronic worry has been a part of my life for a long time…I wish that I had become more aware so much earlier, but hey, I’m doing it now!! And what a relief!! I believe that chronic worry shaped my life very deeply, falsely thinking that it was a very big part of problem solving, and it was just what happened when my mind felt like oh, now it has some juicy stuff to get very stressed and afraid about, yippee! Really, I felt like my body and mind kind of felt secure with this fear anxiety, and most likely, that was the addiction to this cyclical fretting and worrying. I do feel that since I now have more love and compassion for myself, that has helped chronic worry greatly. Self compassion has been big for me, and I recommend it to everyone 💟‼️
I resonate with the feelings of chronic worry and cyclical thought loops that become habituated over time. Self-doubt is often at the center. I always appreciate Tara’s guidance and know regular practice is the way to true behavioral change.
Worry is unavoidable and as long as I practice how to make myself to face it with gentleness and confidence, it is meaningless to comment on it. When I think about what is yet to come with positivity and optimism, I make my way to face everything. Hope I get more opportunities to express and share my worries with friends.
Worry is unavoidable and as long as I practice how to make myself to face it with gentleness and confidence, it is meaningless to comment on it. When I think about what is yet to come with positivity and optimism, I make my way to face everything.
Please do not add music behind your speaking on your videos. Even though it is pretty music, it is very distracting to some of us who are highly musical. The music is communicating its own message, and that competes with the message you are speaking and makes it hard to really hear you deeply. So please consider letting the background be peaceful and silent. Thank you very much.
Agree. I have post concussive syndrome, and it also makes it hard to focus on either the speaking or the music.
Otherwise, Tara and her teachings are always insightful and meaningful to me.
I agree. Thanks for posting. The content is so rich, I want to focus only on that and the music is intrusive (I’m also a musician, so I’m attuned, so to speak, to background music wherever I go).
Oh I hear you on that! So time consuming.
I’m sorry this comment was in response to Nenne Halgren’s comment about looking for faults in her past behavior.
I agree, I find it very distracting. I am so grateful to Tara for these free videos.
Having chronic anxiety has led me to addiction to worry/food/alcohol/people’s approval. A sense of unworthiness has kept me small and prevents me from living life to the fullest, in relationships with others including family, friends and colleagues.
I appreciate you Tara so much for the many podcasts including these videos. Thank you for helping me heal and to live.
It’s exhausting and without mindfulness it can become all consuming. I noticed so many of my conversations with friends have become about my fears My concerns about what may happen have caused anxiety in others as they worry about me. I need to ask myself actually what is my reality? What is really happening now?
My life has been filled with worry but Mark Twain had it right. Most of it never happened. Great video.
When I notice myself thinking possible negative outcomes, I stop and focus my thoughts on thinking what if the outcome is a success. This helps!
My family are great worriers. Its almost as if you get a badge for worry. In my life I have noticed that when I finally notice the loop, I can start to sort through what is important and real and what is catastrophizing. I started making notes so my brain knows it’s recorded. I then take action. It was then I noticed the body sensations improve or release. I learned this myself when a councilor said imagine the worst outcome and the best. Thats the situation.
Now to take it a step further and move into my body as allowing, loving kindness and releasing will certainly make the process easier for my body. The recent world events and losses have stuck fear into my body. Thanks for this as we all really need this beautiful practice. You’re a shining light Tara! We use your meditations and teachings for our wellness groups. Many blessings.
tuning into myself and what’s real helps me ground and let go so I can see it’s real but not true and hold myself
Oh yeah, this ones gets to me!! I try to keep a global picture to rate my worry as small and a bit frantic for nothing. My new term is “first world problem” to help me get perspective.
While a work in progress, I’m slowly learning that, in fact, my current way of being- slow, low achieving and unproductive ( NOTE: these words are my inner voice speaking ) as a result of three concurrent accidents is actually a gift, allowing me to recognize my habituated, highly energized anxious state of living a ridiculous self proclaimed “ A” type lifestyle, might very be upside down and inside out.
Meaning – my externally focussed life from my past was habitual anxiety and I was caught in a constant fight state, whereas being forced by injury to slowing down has allowed me to listen and learn from the inside – to my own body and nurture and care for ME – myself is quite frankly, liberating! Im trying to stay present with all my judgemental beliefs and thoughts which have sabotaged living authentically and in the moment. A work in progress but thank you Tara for your inspiration!
Being anxious is my baseline normal, so often I don’t know what thoughts are causing these feelings. I guess I am addicted to these feelings as I have had them most of my life and I am 68 yrs old now!! The source of my anxiety, I think, is that I feel I have to stay in control of what is going on to avoid doom and disaster. It’s very hard to always be in control of what occurring, so I am setting myself up for failure for sure!! Hard to let this go and just let what happens, happen. Working on it always and life circumstances are forcing me to do it as well which is one of those life lessons you didn’t wish for but you may be grateful for looking back.
I’ve contracted Tinnitus in the past year. It can become a consuming thought to worry about how bad it will be today, or consider the fact it is never going away. Its easy to become addicted to thinking about it.
Thank you for these 3 steps to “kick the worry habit.” I begin practicing them here and now.
Unconscious addiction to worry is experiencing a hell realm in all its fury and limiting force. It chokes the very seed of life, preventing from experiencing life, joy, love, and all the jewels of this world. Ultimately it keeps us stranded: far from recognising our primordial nature. Tears flow from witnessing this state in oneself and others, often unable to do much but to slowly retrace our steps, returning home. And it could take years or lifetimes for some.
Thanks to you I am now okay about recognizing my addiction to worry and can relax without negative self judgment when I think I can’t finish something, or fix something or someone. Message received when growing up was that I was responsible for other peoples’ feelings. Worry: would I meet others’ expectations.
I used to say “I’m a worry-worm by nature”. But I’m not sure if this is true. I know that my life in general has deteriorated over time: I can’t seem to keep a job for whatever the reasons may be (whether my own failure or not), I’m not in a meaningful and lasting romantic relationship for decades now, I’m not in a strong financial position either; and I had the greatest start and many high achievements in academia and early career opportunities. Whether my choices or life circumstances – I did not fulfill what I was destined to achieve and what others predicted I’d achieve and over time – this has become more difficult, I fell into the common trap of self criticism and the constant worry and pessimism just perpetuated and enforced the path of self perceived failure which holds me down to this day. I’m 45 and I see myself as a failure and cannot seem to dig myself out of this hole neither mentally nor practically…
Intellectually I know I am capable of creating a life I dream of, with a fulfilling business of my own. Everytime I take steps to create it, I worry about using too much money, or not doing it effectively, and making my financial situation worse. self doubt stops me each time.
oh yes, I’ve recognized the prison I’ve created for myself for a while now. sleepless nights, tightening body, obsessive thoughts. I will continue to meditate and can add this new one based around my fears to start my day. I tell everyone I know how important self love is, how strong they really are. I will continue to tell myself and treat myself as I would treat my precious friend.
No matter how much cognitive work I do to understand the origins of the worry reaction to daily life, it doesn’t shift unless I make it a practise – by identifying it and seeing it as ‘other’ than myself and the present moment. It’s very painful and hard to do and still my default mode is to doubt (myself, others, life itself) and get stuck in a loop of acute planning. It’s a malfunctioning machine that I’m hoping to repair.
I’d never really been a worrier – it crept up on me as I reached 60 and had covid-enforced early retirement. Mini panic attacks, strange bodily sensations and anticipatory unease became the norm. My GP (doctor) could find no physical cause which left psychological/emotional/spiritual dis-ease. Tara is helping me identify, allow and accept, and nurture myself with these these scary moments, which are part of me.
Thank you
I often feel strangled by anxiety and worry thoughts. Fear of failure, perfectionism, and self doubt can really grab hold of me. These videos and steps are so helpful. Thank you Tara