anxiety

For over two decades now I have had periods in which I suffer from an anxiety syndrome, which is a result of the fear/flight/fight capacity inbuilt in all sentient creatures. It's debilitating and narrowing in its ability to hamper the joy of life, or even the most taken for granted or simple things.

Today I talked it over with my psychologist who gave me a few new strategies to help deal with my anxiety. In summary (and this is in addition to other CBT-based techniques I use) they involve breathing exercises in which I focus on the breathing cycle, whilst watching my thoughts flit by like passers-by. The idea is to not attach to those thoughts, to not fuse with them. We are not our thoughts. We are something more fundamental. The second was an emotional exercise, involving fosussing on the emotions and physical sensations, looking at them as if a disinterested observer. If thoughts intrude, they are bid farewell with a 'thanks mind'. Once again, it is about understanding that our sensations and emotions are not us. We are something more fundamental.