Mindfulness and Panic: Ask Your Anxiety

Panic.

Heart racing. Palms sweating. Breathing rapid and shallow. Mouth dry. Knees knocking.

Whether it's a pop quiz, a job interview, a spider, an impromptu speech, a crowded elevator, a dirty restroom, the view from a cliff, a shot at the clinic, a flight across the ocean, a first kiss, or a trip to a crowded shopping center, we all have something that fills us with panic. In severe cases, we can develop anxiety disorders in which panic attacks occur at seemingly random moments.

Whether you have a case of the pre-speech jitters or a full-blown panic attack, the physical symptoms are easily recognized. However, what we need to see clearly are the thoughts going through our mind whenever we feel anxious.

No matter what triggers your personal panic parade-- complete with lively emotions, colorful thoughts, and sizzling sensations--there is one key element that gets the party started.

No, it's not just stress. It isn't your personality type. It's not solely your past memories or the way your mother raised you or your particular physical challenges.

It is simply this: you are lacking in self-esteem.

Okay, now did you automatically start with the "But I am perfectly confident! I am totally competent! I feel just fine about myself!" rebuttal? Ah, good. Watch that.

We just hate it when someone suggests we might not have rock-solid self-esteem, and yet we are pros when it comes to bashing ourselves. Aren't we funny?

We'd rather believe that our anxiety is due to biological factors so we can take a pill to deal with it. But masking panic is not the same as managing panic. If you want to transcend your anxiety, you've got to get to the bottom of it.

The truth is that we only panic about things we don't feel confident handling.

If we don't handle a particular situation well, we dread the next time we must face it. We doubt that we will ever handle it skillfully even if we have done so in the past. We worry about it--and then worry about worrying! Fearful avoidance becomes our new way of responding.

Before we know it, we're stuck in panic purgatory.

Insert mindfulness here. Don't ask for anxiety--ask your anxiety. Focus on the first thought you have when that panic starts bubbling up and gently ask, "Why? Watch...then ask again. Play through several "why" cycles-and learn.

Panic is simply misguided attention. We must learn to watch the ROOT (some element requiring greater self- esteem) instead of the RESULT (all-night panic party) of our anxiety.

Ask your anxiety and listen carefully. Use mindfulness to help you redirect your attention, and you will learn to disconnect that panic button for good.

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches eyes-wide-open ways to get calm, clear and creative. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com

---

Practical Ways to Bring Enchantment into Your Life

THE ENCHANTED SELF® teaches you how to access positive states... Read More

Avoiding Stress During the Busy Holiday Shopping Season with eCardica.com

Lake Hopatcong, NJ (PRWEB) November 30, 2004 -- Here are... Read More

Music Therapy: Can Music Really Soothe The Savage Beast?

It has long been suggested that "music soothes the savage... Read More

Occupational Stress

Statistics tell us that more people have migraine headaches on... Read More

10 Tips To Reduce Stress

1. Determine your "unique ability" and capitalize on itDelegate the... Read More

Chastise Your Bread ? Kneading Dough is Excellent Stress Therapy

The day wasn't going well already. You know how it... Read More

Myth Busting: What Causes Mental Breakdown?

I came out of a nightmare 5-year period of anxiety... Read More

Stress Management: How to Handle Rejection - The Power of NEXT

Raise your hand if you have ever been rejected by... Read More

Talk Yourself Out of Stress

Seventy-five percent of all our problems ? both emotional and... Read More

Stress Management

Have you ever said the words, "This job/my life is... Read More

Stress Management: Declare Your Freedom From...

1)Excessive worryNo, I'm not saying "don't worry, be happy."Well-used worry... Read More

Stress and Time Management

STRESS & TIME MANAGEMENT: Stress is either the source or... Read More

[Emotional Health] Are You Feeling In Control?

When it is all said and done, do you feel... Read More

Extreme Self-care: Make Time for Yourself

If you've recently experienced loss or are going through a... Read More

Stress Managment: 12 Universal Laws for Managing Anger

1. The Law of EveryoneIt is not neccessarily wrong to... Read More

Dialing M For Mindfulness

Looking for mindfulness? Who ya gonna call?Try dialing M.It's easy... Read More

Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Do You Worry All The Time?

Do you worry all the time?Do the following symptoms bother... Read More

Nipping Stress In the Bud: The Principles of Stress Relief

Stress is normal. Stress is OK. Stress is the same... Read More

Six Questions To Make Your Workplace Stress-Free

Many CEOs see stress as an intractable problem which would... Read More

Over 35 Ways of Controlling Stress: Absolutely Necessary to Control Smoking and Weight!

* Play Romane's stress control seminar recordings, and read "The... Read More

Five Steps to Stress Relief

So, you've recognised that you are suffering from stress and... Read More

Understanding Your Stress Levels

In order to understand stress better, it is a good... Read More

Anger Management Practice: The Gift of Forgiveness

This anger management Practice draws on the dual wisdom of... Read More

Stress Management and Mastery: The Value of Vitamin NO

What part of no don't you understand? - Bumper stickerThe... Read More

Choose a Stressless Lifestyle!

A stressless lifestyle? That's very easy to say. Yet it... Read More

Coping as a Tool of Enchantment

Many of my readers write to me about the tensions... Read More

Stress Management: Are You a Chooser or a Loser?

Author and speaker H. Stephen Glenn has said,"In terms of... Read More

Stress Secrets: How To Remove Hidden Sources Of Stress

Most people find it easy to identify the sources of... Read More

Stress Managment: How to Beat the Get By Syndrome

I'm sure you have heard of IBS, irritable bowel syndrome,... Read More

Bite-Size Chunks! The Power Of Daily Actions

There may be so much you want to change in... Read More

Stress Management: Are You a Workaholic - Humorous View

As we celebrate yet another Labor Day, I thought it... Read More

The ABCs of Stress Management

A while back, I was in a minor fender-bender accident,... Read More

Mental and Physical Stress

All people experience stress and anxiety in one form or... Read More