There are still mornings when I wake up feeling a weight in my chest, behind my eyes, and sometimes deep in my belly… It feels like impending doom.
A few years ago, when this happened, I would lie there for an extra hour or two trying to think my way out of it. But it wouldn’t end there. The analysis, the search for relief, would occupy me for days, weeks, or even months.
But now I know better.
I know the type of thoughts that will only trap me further in a dark hole that can feel impossible to climb out of.
Now I understand that feelings of doom, anxiety, and fear often come from not being present… from fear of a future I cannot predict and regret over a past I cannot change.
And while neither the past nor the future actually exist right now, my mind doesn’t know the difference between what is real and what is imagined. So, my body reacts as if what I am thinking about is happening in this very moment.
Imagination is required for us to think about the future. Imagination is even required to think about the past because while remembering, we are actively recreating an image in the present of what happened in the past. Our brain is also very good at filling in the gaps where we don’t fully remember.
Our subconscious mind holds tightly to memories in an attempt to prevent us from making the same mistakes again. It serves a purpose… even the pain of it.
As a hypnotherapist, I remind my clients every day that our subconscious mind’s job is to protect us. We should befriend it… even when it overreacts. Even when it responds to thoughts of the past or future as if they are happening now, causing feelings that don’t match the moment.
But what I do on these mornings might surprise you…
When I wake up and start to experience anxious feelings, I take a few deep breaths and then… I JUST GET UP!
Not because I’m ignoring what I feel, but because I no longer allow myself to become trapped in hours of anxious thinking before my day even begins….
And because I know I need to start by getting out of my head and into the present moment. So, I get up… I pet my dogs, acknowledge the sun, and water my plants.
BUT… and this is extremely important… I find time later in my day to come back to those feelings, often during a lunch break.
And this is what I do.
I start by thanking my subconscious mind for letting me know when something isn’t right. Most of the time, I’m not in any present danger. Most of the time, it’s just my thoughts… my imagination, creating a fearful future in my mind.
“Thank you for your constant protection,” I say, “and thank you for letting me know where I was in my mind”.
Then I move into acknowledgment of my feelings because without that, I know they will build and build until they become louder… creating pain, tension, even disease.
“I feel afraid. I feel shame. I feel sad…”
I take a deep breath as I let my emotions be seen… BY ME.
I allow myself to cry if I need to.
But I don’t stay there.
Sure, there are days when I take longer, giving myself all the time I need to let it out. That is important too.
But on days when I need to meet with clients, write, manage my business, or show up for my family… which is most days… I cannot stay in the process too long.
I move on to the next step, asking myself: “What was I thinking about when I felt this impending doom, anxiousness, shame, or sadness?”
Ah yes… a regret from the past. A worry about the future. Or what so often used to keep me trapped in that vortex of negative thinking I could not escape… the search for certainty.
I’m not alone in this. This is what often keeps us in cycles of overthinking and anxiety.
If you see yourself in this, even a little bit, this process can help you become more present… more calm… more connected to your inner wisdom.
After I identify the thought, the one that usually starts with “what if….” or “I should have done…,” I say to myself:
“I am here now. I am safe now. I do not need to know right now. I am divinely supported and protected. Everything works out for me.”
And then I choose a new perspective. One that is equally true, but more supportive.
Instead of “what if…” followed by the worst possible outcome, I choose “what if…” followed by the best possible outcome.
Another option that sometimes feels easier is curiosity. I get curious about how God, The Universe, or Divinity is rearranging everything to support me… even when it seems impossible that it could.
I wonder “how will it all unfold” and I get excited that I will eventually find out.
This process gets me through the difficult days. But more than that… it allows me to continue living, growing, creating, loving, and following my joy instead of becoming consumed by anxiety or fear.
This is why I haven’t fallen back into another cycle of doom, but instead continue to thrive and experience joy regardless of difficult circumstances in my life.
If it helps, here is the simple version of the process:
- Acknowledge what you are feeling.
- Identify the thought behind the feeling.
- Choose a more supportive perspective.
This is one of the simple processes I use to move through difficult emotions and reconnect with myself when fear and overthinking try to pull me away from the present moment.
But there is so much more I use both personally and with my clients to help create deeper subconscious change, emotional safety, clarity, and connection to inner wisdom.
This is simply a place to begin.
And if I can do this, so can you.
If this resonated with you and you would like support moving beyond fear, anxiety, overthinking, or emotional overwhelm, I’d love to support you.
You can schedule a free consultation call with me here: https://calendly.com/aanawilson/free-consultation-call
Always remember that you are worthy, and everything you need to live a life of joy and abundance is already inside of you.
Warmly, Aana
