The Pause Technique for Anxiety
MINDSET
Written by Rachel Mehaffey
Mindset needs the Power of Pause
As a coach there are strategies I work with and one i adore is the power of pause. It is such a simple technique I discovered when my little lady started to get anxious around the age of 7.
She was moving between her dads house and mine, our environments were completely different and my little empath was struggling with the transition so much so she would send herself into little panic attacks. .As a parent it broke my heart but it also anchored me more personally to the problem than I had been working with clients to this point. She was my girl and I wanted to take away the pain so I started to look at 'Pausing'.
As a life coach I can attest to the fact there are so many techniques and readings out there talking about mindset. There is so much coverage on how to combat those negative traps of self talk, of betterment and self development and look a lot of them are great! But they are also, at times, pretty wordy and compex. I needed something easy and understandable for my girl.
She was already overloaded and so many recommendations to calming take thought & structure so much so we are adding more to our minds already in hyperdrive?!
The Pause Technique is not about doing more. It is not asking you to go into battle to better yourself in moments you likely feel heightened and on edge nor is it about stopping completely, throwing in the towel and walking away instead it is using a little trick, such a simple little action - PAUSE & BREATH
Yep. Not doing more or trying to understand what is happening in the moment but pressing pause. Freezing the moment as it is and saying' whoa, let's take a breath'.
Now I am sure you have seen it everywhere touted as the perfect pairing to cold therapy but breath work is not just for ice baths and mastering mindset it is for everyday existence. It is not some spandangled fancy thing we have discovered in this day and age, breath work has been getting WOMEN through CHILDBIRTH since the dawn of time. Other than modern drugs, there is nothing in the world that can claim the accolades of that mean feat! Giving yourself the time to consciously breathe allows you to anchor into your body and realign your senses so you can start to counteract what is triggering you.
My absolute go to actions when things are getting a little heavy or too much in any given moment are pause and breath. They seem so simple right, and they are, but they are more powerful than any other tips or tricks I have put into play and, there have been a lot.
Here is a quick little action plan to pause the negative self sabotage when it starts creeping in and the best thing - It can be done anywhere, anytime.
ACTION PLAN
1. Acknowledge:
When you feel negative thoughts creeping in, acknowledge them as a signal & get to a space you know you can just pause. Somewhere quiet and calming for you. Take yourself away from the environment you were in when things started to build up. It is important there is a change of scenery (not matter how small) to signal to your brain there is a chance to create a change.
2. Hit Pause:
Immediately stop what you're doing (clearly it is not serving you if you feel like Sh%&); take a moment to just be still. When you are in your space just 'be'. You don't have to focus on anything other than knowing the feelings you were having are under control and through the simple action of moving physically away from the space that anchored them you have taken back the control.
3. Breathe Mindfully:
Now for the gold dust. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and pause for four counts before repeating. Do this cycle three times. There is an awesome app for Breathwrk you can down load and both my daughter and I have it on our phones but this pattern is the most common and calming of rhythms and anyone can do it.
4. Reflect Briefly:
Ask yourself, "What's truly important right now?" to shift focus from negativity to your current goal or gain a little perspective. You need to show up for yourself now your breath is re centred and offer a little perspective. It is so easy to see mountains grow from mole hills when we are at the heart of something triggering but taking a step back and reframing what is important levels back the playing field.
5. Choose One Grounding Action:
Pick a simple, constructive step and act on it to BREAK THE CYCLE of self-sabotage and move forward. By adding in an action you are symbolically cutting off the situation that had you reeling and redirecting. think of it as cutting the red ribbon and releasing the negative. It can be as simple as clapping 3 times but set yourself up with an action you will associate with positive change.
This is the thing. You're in or getting into a funk. Step back. Break the Cycle. Reset with Breath.
This is a simple but so very good action plan of combating the panic and negative mindset that can creep in at any time. It gives you the physical weaponry to take on the feelings and make something good from it and better yet anyone of any age can do it.
I love it so much I talk more on the technique in my Podcast episode 'Ma' @thesoulstash. Give it a listen if you want to go more deeply into the Japanese principle of making space for what you need and clearing what is not longer serving you.
Sometimes the best things in life are both free and easy so maybe maybe next time you start spiralling try giving pause a try.
Keep it Simple - Sugar
Rach xx
Hey, I'm Rach. I'm a Life Coach, Podcaster, Digital Course Creator, Writer, Educator, Single Mum & Science Nerd.
I started coaching for interest sake then left my 20 year Big Corporate Gig to make it my life's work. Now I'm helping people all over the globe with mindset & teaching how to access the life you want.
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