An apple a day keeps the doctor away
A very easy tool to help you manage stress and anxiety during these difficult times:
APPLE
ACKNOWLEDGE - Notice and acknowledge the uncertainty as it comes to mind.
PAUSE - Don't react as you normally do. Don't react at all. Just pause, and breathe.
PULL BACK - Tell yourself this is just the anxiety or depression talking, and this thought or feeling is only a thought or feeling.
Don't believe everything you think!
Thoughts are not statements of fact.
LET GO - Let go of the thought or feeling. IT WILL PASS - You don't have to react or respond to them. You might imagine them floating away in a bubble or on a cloud.
EXPLORE - Explore the present moment, because right now, in this moment, all is well. Notice your breathing, and the sensations of breathing. Notice the ground beneath you.
Look around and NOTICE what you NOTICE - what you can see, what you can hear, what you can touch, what you can smell - right NOW.
Then, SHIFT YOUR FOCUS OF ATTENTION to something else - on what you need to do, on what you were doing before you noticed the worry, or do something else mindfully with your full attention.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and anxious, struggling to focus or simply feel stuck, and would like some support, please email lesleysamms@gmail.com
