Thank you for your kind and compassionate teaching. I have been reading a lot about meditation recently it is helping me to decompress. Although I agree that exercising does half of the work, meditation always is the best calming tool. Gratitude, Liz
Excellent approach and key tips. Yes, many of my clients suffer from chronic anxiety, particularly those at the beginning of their new careers or those at the very top. Breathing exercises, mindfulness, meditation help a lot, indeed.
Thank you Tara, for your really clear presentation. It shapes up what I’ve been fumbling my way towards. I intend to use your 3 steps with a pretty intransigent and uncooperative client with an eating disorder next week. I am beginning to feel anxious at the prospect as she makes me feel hopeless!! OK I’ll go and breathe into my fear and find the strength to have a go!
Thank You Tara, to be so schematic, simple easy and clear Practice is the key, is like take control of our negative thoughts that that let us enter the loop of non stop worrying
Have a wonderful Happy Women’s Day ??
Many of my clients are addicted to “worry”. That’s because many were conditioned to worry, understandably, after being raised by parents that were emotionally and psychologically unavailable. Their parents were mentally ill and often un-diagnosed. So they got no treatment and their offspring had to fend for themselves. This knowledge is based on my research on an unacknowledged trauma and grief. If anyone is interested in reading this (easy to read) research, they just need to Google my name: Suzette Misrachi to freely download the research and the short articles I’ve written following my research.
I really liked knowing that the word “worry” is an old English word for “strangle”. I will most certainly share this info with my clients and I know some of them will have a good laugh when they realise how it might apply to their lives. Thank you Tara for this great presentation!
As per my experience, there can be two types of worries we may have: those ones we have some control whole some other that we do not have any control. If we can differentiate these two types, we can let go the ones we don’t have control with a mind of equanimity while for the ones we have some control, we can take even the smallest step to overcome that worry.
It has had a grip on me for the last 3 years. I understand where it came from but now I have to work on it sometimes daily. The effect of worry makes my heart feel heavy and I need to breathe. Can’t focus or avoid the important things. I now practice self help, tapping helps at times and AFT. I do feel better about myself ornthe situation at hand when I practice these.
I had a major bicycle accident with a TBI. I am anxious about weather I will ever be the same again or “get it all back”. I am so vigilant about doing all the exercises and trying so hard to control the outcome . There was no room for joy and present life. Now I have my asthma back! What you say makes sense.
Being a daily practitioner of mindfulness, her three steps are a review for me. Once l detect a worried thought I am aware of its presence. I do realize that it is wasting my energy. I do recognize that it is OK for it to be there, I did allow it to happen and now I tell it it needs to go. When I’m walking in the forest when the weather is agreeable, I stop many times for just a standing meditation and be aware of my breathing and my thoughts. I have been using this modified process for many many years. Worried thoughts are very few and far between.
I really love the way you have explained this, thank you so much. I am beginning to understand how fear and anxiety work and I have been really noticing the way it effects my body. I have also been practising both midfulness and meditation techniques that work for me, so this video just helped me get a clearer picture of how I can work on breaking the habit, through the use of these techniques, breathing etc. Thank you for letting me watch.
The difference between anxiety and fear is very well explained. I sometimes fail to identify whether I am experiencing fear or anxiety in situations I encounter.
As a physiotherapist, many clients injuries are escalated by their worried thoughts. I encourage them to practice mindfulness and help them put in perspective the irrational fears they have regarding their injuries to help prevent chronic pain from developing. Those that appear stuck and unable to let go of their irrational thoughts I refer on for further psychological intervention. These mini learning videos are invaluable to my area of expertise-thank you.
I really appreciate the kind and clear messages in dealing with some anxieties.
My experience adds to possible traumas that can happen. Most people manage to deny many future possible troubles.
It would require a different method I think.To learn to deny what can go wrong.It can be a real asset as we age.
This is a wonderful video and example of using mindfulness in a very simple way with clients and with self. Where do I sign up for more? Thanks.
José Alfaro, LCSW
For a long time I read about dealing with anxious thoughts and worry and it made sense in my head – but when I experienced those thoughts I didn’t naturally go through the process I’d read about to deal with them! But when I did remember to stop and go through the steps, as Tara talks about, it helped and each time I do it, that behavior is reinforced and now it is becoming more habitual. Positive results lead to positive change but you have to practice. It seems so obvious, but the intention must be there.
This was very helpful. I think I may actually be someone who looks for something to worry about. How do I keep this 3 step practice recording to reuse in the future?
Thanks
I became addicted to worry during some molestation trauma as a preteen. Since then I have lived in fear of just about everything. I did have some relief when studying Buddhism and practicing meditation several years back. But I’ve moved to three different states since then and have lost my practice due to lack of a sangha to study with. I took the Awakening Joy class online with James Baraz and that was really helpful/loved it. Hoping this teaching by Tara helps as well. Thank you so much for sharing it freely.
This is a very simple yet powerful video. Tara Brach is a very effective speaker and educator. I watched this video twice so that could absorb as much of her teachings as possible. Thank you for this opportunity to learn from her today.
Worrying seems to make me feel smarter, or anticipating bad situations or outcomes. In reality, it distorts thinking and the fear of failure always lies behind anxiety. I’ve learned to step back and see that I’m just reacting with fear, that fear makes us smaller and unable to make real decisions.
I know what you mean about shifting from one worry to the next. I think I’ve done this my entire life and finally it has driven me to a breakdown. And now the huge worry is my fear of not being able to sleep. I’m on two anxiety meds and two anti depressants and they have helped, but I don’t want to be on them for the rest of my life so have been searching for other ways to deal with my fear and anxiety. So thank you for sharing your free video and expertise, and I will give this a go and know that it takes pracitce and time and not to expect any quick fixes.
I am now in an extremely uncomfortable place with my addiction to worry. It is overwhelming and paralyzing. It try to be with it and even welcome it but sometimes it’s more difficult and I find that talking to another likeminded person is helpful in walking me through the fear.
I’m greatful for your generosity, Tara✌️
I experience an addiction to worry because it serves to remove my focus from the here and now, a place where I have to meet and face myself and all of my fears. And because obessessive thinking and ruminating eased my fears about potential negative outcomes because I felt I had some control over things by doing that. Lastly, being addicted to worry has always felt comfortable because I had little joy in my life as a child so joy and happiness as an adult and just being were fear enducing states. Being free of fear and worry is something I’m still working on getting used to.
I really enjoyed your video. I suffer from anxiety as a side effect of a medication and it is terrible I have been trying all sorts of medications to try and manage it. So difficult. I could relate so much to the processes you have spoken about and I will try them. as it’s a medication side effect I know it won’t solve the problems but it certainly might help manage them. Thank you for providing this very helpful broadcast for free.
Í used to worry a lot about my kids when they were teenagers and came back home late until i realized i couldn’t control whatever was meant to happen. So, i learned through meditation to just be in the here and now, to get grounded in my body sensations and just do a loving kindness meditation for my sons. This has helped me a lot to let go and trust.
I really enjoyed the first video, as it had Closed Captioning. Alas, this second one did not. There were a lot of on-screen splashes and words and this helped a lot; but whenever it panned to the speaker, talking solo in the office-area, the captiones were not there. Missed a lot of info. Hope the third installment has Captioning. With great appreciation.
I’m a 75 year old worrier, and I can relate to Mark Twain’s words. I can see how anxiety has affected me during my life to the extent that I now have high blood pressure. Meditation has helped but I will now begin the 3 step process – especially with hand on heart. The very idea gives me a sense of comfort. I now intend to be a worry warrior!
I’m a 75 year old worrier. I can see how anxiety has affected me during my life to the extent that I now have high blood pressure. Meditation has helped but I will now begin the 3 step process – especially with hand on heart. The very idea gives me a sense of comfort. I now intend to be a worry warrior!
I have been focusing attention on the beauty of life and view every experience, positive or otherwise as an opportunity to learn something, I look at my experiences as a gift…
In my personal life I have crippled myself with anxious thoughts. I have witnessed others who live with anxiety, take medication and how this has validated and continues to feed into to their personal cycles of self destructiveness, only to realise that I am living in this false state also.
I deal with my challenges by bringing awareness to what is real, not the stories that my anxiety generates.
Thank you for sharing your 3 step process as I would love nothing more than to help my clients live a life based on what is real, in the present here and now.
I am new to teaching yoga and get so worried each time I go to teach a class.
I am trying so many modalities to reduce the anxiety but I agree that a big part of the problem is my addition to the worry. Thank you for pointing this out and offering more tools.
My daughter is bipolar with delusions and is off medication. She has blocked contact with me. What can I do to help her or my worry for her? Replies appreciated.
I can see how looping can become a vicious cycle. Afraid, afraid of not being afraid for fear something might happen and I’m not prepared for what I fear.
Hi
I am trying to recover from drug addiction and have been deeply affected by bad experiences from the past colouring my behaviour in the now. I have been experiencing pain in my body and insomnia. It’s not easy to break the habits of many years. Success and failure each and every day. Allowing myself to be imperfect is the goal I think. Props to me and anyone else making the effort.
I am 62 years old and worrying my entire life! I’ve been meditating for over a year now religiously and definitely getting better about taking things one day at a time in stride. I have to admit when I’m tired I go right back into old patterns but the difference is that I am aware when I do that today. Thank you for your inspiring videos and meditations. I listen often to your meditations.
I suffer from addiction to worry. I have OCD and my mother had it. It was passed on to me genetically with an environmental overlay of a raging, violent father. My wound is early and deep. I have come a long way from how I was years ago but I still get caught on some things. It is like being nibbled to death by a frog. I can be so hard to clear my mind. I am going to give the 3 step process a go. Thank you so much for Tara Brach; I saw her in Seattle last year and she was wonderful. I really appreciate her. Again, thanks.
i love to do the hand on heart and feeling the warmth and letting go into my body it brings. It is so calming and i find it releases compassion for myself and others too. it is hard to be anxious after that.
I suffer from anxiety. It is so limiting. I feel trapped and alone. As Tara suggested it is helpful to look around, centre yourself in the present moment and breathe into that constricted place within you. When helping friends it is helpful to simply listen to them. Expressing fears and anxieties often loosens their grip.
Thank you Tara for your ease of presence, calm voice and a palpable sense of no judgement. I loved that you included the holding of your heart as a way to connect to the body and relax into the meditation. I use this with much frequency in my practice and its often amazing how clients are able to drop into not only their bodies but the essence of their true spirit.
This is such a simple three step process, but listening to the process, it took a bit longer to go through each step this morning. This was good to know as I can now be more patient with my clients when they need to process their fear feelings. Thank you Dr Brach.
Such affirmation that I’m working on my stuff plus helping my clients beautiful. The addiction to worry bought to mind one particular client and this tells me we are on track for her.
Thank you for your kind and compassionate teaching. I have been reading a lot about meditation recently it is helping me to decompress. Although I agree that exercising does half of the work, meditation always is the best calming tool. Gratitude, Liz
Constantly worry about my special needs so
Excellent approach and key tips. Yes, many of my clients suffer from chronic anxiety, particularly those at the beginning of their new careers or those at the very top. Breathing exercises, mindfulness, meditation help a lot, indeed.
My worries are real
Thank you Tara, for your really clear presentation. It shapes up what I’ve been fumbling my way towards. I intend to use your 3 steps with a pretty intransigent and uncooperative client with an eating disorder next week. I am beginning to feel anxious at the prospect as she makes me feel hopeless!! OK I’ll go and breathe into my fear and find the strength to have a go!
Thank You Tara, to be so schematic, simple easy and clear Practice is the key, is like take control of our negative thoughts that that let us enter the loop of non stop worrying
Have a wonderful Happy Women’s Day ??
Worry is all consuming
Breaking the worry /anxiety addiction is very difficult. The 3,step approach gives me hope.
Many of my clients are addicted to “worry”. That’s because many were conditioned to worry, understandably, after being raised by parents that were emotionally and psychologically unavailable. Their parents were mentally ill and often un-diagnosed. So they got no treatment and their offspring had to fend for themselves. This knowledge is based on my research on an unacknowledged trauma and grief. If anyone is interested in reading this (easy to read) research, they just need to Google my name: Suzette Misrachi to freely download the research and the short articles I’ve written following my research.
I really liked knowing that the word “worry” is an old English word for “strangle”. I will most certainly share this info with my clients and I know some of them will have a good laugh when they realise how it might apply to their lives. Thank you Tara for this great presentation!
As per my experience, there can be two types of worries we may have: those ones we have some control whole some other that we do not have any control. If we can differentiate these two types, we can let go the ones we don’t have control with a mind of equanimity while for the ones we have some control, we can take even the smallest step to overcome that worry.
It has had a grip on me for the last 3 years. I understand where it came from but now I have to work on it sometimes daily. The effect of worry makes my heart feel heavy and I need to breathe. Can’t focus or avoid the important things. I now practice self help, tapping helps at times and AFT. I do feel better about myself ornthe situation at hand when I practice these.
I had a major bicycle accident with a TBI. I am anxious about weather I will ever be the same again or “get it all back”. I am so vigilant about doing all the exercises and trying so hard to control the outcome . There was no room for joy and present life. Now I have my asthma back! What you say makes sense.
Being a daily practitioner of mindfulness, her three steps are a review for me. Once l detect a worried thought I am aware of its presence. I do realize that it is wasting my energy. I do recognize that it is OK for it to be there, I did allow it to happen and now I tell it it needs to go. When I’m walking in the forest when the weather is agreeable, I stop many times for just a standing meditation and be aware of my breathing and my thoughts. I have been using this modified process for many many years. Worried thoughts are very few and far between.
I really love the way you have explained this, thank you so much. I am beginning to understand how fear and anxiety work and I have been really noticing the way it effects my body. I have also been practising both midfulness and meditation techniques that work for me, so this video just helped me get a clearer picture of how I can work on breaking the habit, through the use of these techniques, breathing etc. Thank you for letting me watch.
The difference between anxiety and fear is very well explained. I sometimes fail to identify whether I am experiencing fear or anxiety in situations I encounter.
As a physiotherapist, many clients injuries are escalated by their worried thoughts. I encourage them to practice mindfulness and help them put in perspective the irrational fears they have regarding their injuries to help prevent chronic pain from developing. Those that appear stuck and unable to let go of their irrational thoughts I refer on for further psychological intervention. These mini learning videos are invaluable to my area of expertise-thank you.
I really appreciate the kind and clear messages in dealing with some anxieties.
My experience adds to possible traumas that can happen. Most people manage to deny many future possible troubles.
It would require a different method I think.To learn to deny what can go wrong.It can be a real asset as we age.
This is a wonderful video and example of using mindfulness in a very simple way with clients and with self. Where do I sign up for more? Thanks.
José Alfaro, LCSW
My mom has anxiety disorder and I am about to graduate with my MSW with a clinical focus. I hope to help and understand my mom, and others.
Thank You, Ann Hooper
When can we see the 3rd tape?
I was wondering about the same.
For a long time I read about dealing with anxious thoughts and worry and it made sense in my head – but when I experienced those thoughts I didn’t naturally go through the process I’d read about to deal with them! But when I did remember to stop and go through the steps, as Tara talks about, it helped and each time I do it, that behavior is reinforced and now it is becoming more habitual. Positive results lead to positive change but you have to practice. It seems so obvious, but the intention must be there.
This was very helpful. I think I may actually be someone who looks for something to worry about. How do I keep this 3 step practice recording to reuse in the future?
Thanks
I became addicted to worry during some molestation trauma as a preteen. Since then I have lived in fear of just about everything. I did have some relief when studying Buddhism and practicing meditation several years back. But I’ve moved to three different states since then and have lost my practice due to lack of a sangha to study with. I took the Awakening Joy class online with James Baraz and that was really helpful/loved it. Hoping this teaching by Tara helps as well. Thank you so much for sharing it freely.
This is a very simple yet powerful video. Tara Brach is a very effective speaker and educator. I watched this video twice so that could absorb as much of her teachings as possible. Thank you for this opportunity to learn from her today.
Worrying seems to make me feel smarter, or anticipating bad situations or outcomes. In reality, it distorts thinking and the fear of failure always lies behind anxiety. I’ve learned to step back and see that I’m just reacting with fear, that fear makes us smaller and unable to make real decisions.
I know what you mean about shifting from one worry to the next. I think I’ve done this my entire life and finally it has driven me to a breakdown. And now the huge worry is my fear of not being able to sleep. I’m on two anxiety meds and two anti depressants and they have helped, but I don’t want to be on them for the rest of my life so have been searching for other ways to deal with my fear and anxiety. So thank you for sharing your free video and expertise, and I will give this a go and know that it takes pracitce and time and not to expect any quick fixes.
My client, ME
my experience is to think of what has happened in the past and worrying that it will happen again, and again, and again.
now I’m trying to stop this anxious thought process.
following your 3 steps I was able to loosen the tightness in my chest, I’m gonna practice this.
I am now in an extremely uncomfortable place with my addiction to worry. It is overwhelming and paralyzing. It try to be with it and even welcome it but sometimes it’s more difficult and I find that talking to another likeminded person is helpful in walking me through the fear.
I’m greatful for your generosity, Tara✌️
I experience an addiction to worry because it serves to remove my focus from the here and now, a place where I have to meet and face myself and all of my fears. And because obessessive thinking and ruminating eased my fears about potential negative outcomes because I felt I had some control over things by doing that. Lastly, being addicted to worry has always felt comfortable because I had little joy in my life as a child so joy and happiness as an adult and just being were fear enducing states. Being free of fear and worry is something I’m still working on getting used to.
I really enjoyed your video. I suffer from anxiety as a side effect of a medication and it is terrible I have been trying all sorts of medications to try and manage it. So difficult. I could relate so much to the processes you have spoken about and I will try them. as it’s a medication side effect I know it won’t solve the problems but it certainly might help manage them. Thank you for providing this very helpful broadcast for free.
Í used to worry a lot about my kids when they were teenagers and came back home late until i realized i couldn’t control whatever was meant to happen. So, i learned through meditation to just be in the here and now, to get grounded in my body sensations and just do a loving kindness meditation for my sons. This has helped me a lot to let go and trust.
Addiction to worry makes me feel disconnected with reality, like living in a parallel universe where every thought is teinted with threat of death
I really enjoyed the first video, as it had Closed Captioning. Alas, this second one did not. There were a lot of on-screen splashes and words and this helped a lot; but whenever it panned to the speaker, talking solo in the office-area, the captiones were not there. Missed a lot of info. Hope the third installment has Captioning. With great appreciation.
“A Deaf Guy” 🙂
I’m a 75 year old worrier, and I can relate to Mark Twain’s words. I can see how anxiety has affected me during my life to the extent that I now have high blood pressure. Meditation has helped but I will now begin the 3 step process – especially with hand on heart. The very idea gives me a sense of comfort. I now intend to be a worry warrior!
I’m a 75 year old worrier. I can see how anxiety has affected me during my life to the extent that I now have high blood pressure. Meditation has helped but I will now begin the 3 step process – especially with hand on heart. The very idea gives me a sense of comfort. I now intend to be a worry warrior!
I have been focusing attention on the beauty of life and view every experience, positive or otherwise as an opportunity to learn something, I look at my experiences as a gift…
In my personal life I have crippled myself with anxious thoughts. I have witnessed others who live with anxiety, take medication and how this has validated and continues to feed into to their personal cycles of self destructiveness, only to realise that I am living in this false state also.
I deal with my challenges by bringing awareness to what is real, not the stories that my anxiety generates.
Thank you for sharing your 3 step process as I would love nothing more than to help my clients live a life based on what is real, in the present here and now.
I am new to teaching yoga and get so worried each time I go to teach a class.
I am trying so many modalities to reduce the anxiety but I agree that a big part of the problem is my addition to the worry. Thank you for pointing this out and offering more tools.
My daughter is bipolar with delusions and is off medication. She has blocked contact with me. What can I do to help her or my worry for her? Replies appreciated.
I can see how looping can become a vicious cycle. Afraid, afraid of not being afraid for fear something might happen and I’m not prepared for what I fear.
Hi
I am trying to recover from drug addiction and have been deeply affected by bad experiences from the past colouring my behaviour in the now. I have been experiencing pain in my body and insomnia. It’s not easy to break the habits of many years. Success and failure each and every day. Allowing myself to be imperfect is the goal I think. Props to me and anyone else making the effort.
I am 62 years old and worrying my entire life! I’ve been meditating for over a year now religiously and definitely getting better about taking things one day at a time in stride. I have to admit when I’m tired I go right back into old patterns but the difference is that I am aware when I do that today. Thank you for your inspiring videos and meditations. I listen often to your meditations.
I suffer from addiction to worry. I have OCD and my mother had it. It was passed on to me genetically with an environmental overlay of a raging, violent father. My wound is early and deep. I have come a long way from how I was years ago but I still get caught on some things. It is like being nibbled to death by a frog. I can be so hard to clear my mind. I am going to give the 3 step process a go. Thank you so much for Tara Brach; I saw her in Seattle last year and she was wonderful. I really appreciate her. Again, thanks.
Great analysis!
i love to do the hand on heart and feeling the warmth and letting go into my body it brings. It is so calming and i find it releases compassion for myself and others too. it is hard to be anxious after that.
I suffer from anxiety. It is so limiting. I feel trapped and alone. As Tara suggested it is helpful to look around, centre yourself in the present moment and breathe into that constricted place within you. When helping friends it is helpful to simply listen to them. Expressing fears and anxieties often loosens their grip.
Fantastic!!
Transformational!
Thank you
Thank you Tara for your ease of presence, calm voice and a palpable sense of no judgement. I loved that you included the holding of your heart as a way to connect to the body and relax into the meditation. I use this with much frequency in my practice and its often amazing how clients are able to drop into not only their bodies but the essence of their true spirit.
This is such a simple three step process, but listening to the process, it took a bit longer to go through each step this morning. This was good to know as I can now be more patient with my clients when they need to process their fear feelings. Thank you Dr Brach.
Oh yes – so good.
Such affirmation that I’m working on my stuff plus helping my clients beautiful. The addiction to worry bought to mind one particular client and this tells me we are on track for her.
Thank you.