The Power of Awareness, Questioning, and Being Still

Last week was tough. I had a lot of things I wanted to work on in my business, things that needed to be done at home, personal goals I am working on, and things I needed to do for my volunteer position at church. As I wrote them all out on my calendar, the overwhelm started to creep in.

Although I calendared time for everything, my mind kept swirling with the thought, “there is so much I need to do!” which created more overwhelm and anxiety. When I was working on something in my business, my brain was trying to convince me I should be working on something else instead. Instead of finishing that task, I would move to the task my brain told me I should be doing instead. From there, it would start all over again.

This went on and on throughout the week. I felt like I was in the middle of a tug of war that was going on and on in my brain. I felt like I was spinning around in circles, taking forever to accomplish anything in any area of my life. I felt as though I was running in a race, without a finish line to be seen.

My brain kept showing me all that still needed to be done, but no matter how fast I was running, the further away I got from accomplishing anything.

I felt anxious. I felt frustrated. I felt exhausted. I felt like just throwing in the towel.

All I wanted was to just stop and breathe. To be still, even only for a little while.

But my brain wouldn’t hear of it. It offered thoughts such as, “You don’t have time to just sit! You will NEVER get anything done if you take the time to be still. It is a waste of time and energy. You have too much to do and too many people depending on you. You CANNOT take time to be still.”

I started to believe my brain. But before I continued running and spinning, I caught myself. These were all just thoughts, just stories my brain was giving me!

I then remembered a thought one of my coaches offered me a while back: “Between me and what I want is a thought I can question.” So that is what I did.

What I wanted to do was to take a time out, take some time to be still, to breathe, and gather my thoughts. I wanted to read and meditate. But the thoughts my brain was offering me didn’t agree, so I decided to question those thoughts, and this is what I came up with:

• I get to decide how I spend my time each day, so even if I have a lot to do, I can certainly make the time to sit and be still if I choose to.

• By just stopping for a moment and being still, I will give my mind and my body a chance to calm down, and focus. And when I am calm and focused, I am much more productive with my time.

• Taking the time to be still will give my mind and body the break it needs in my busy day, allowing me to feel rejuvenated, mentally, and physically. I will have more energy and clarity to give to everyone that is depending on me. It’s a win/win for all of us!

When I made the decision to take time to be still for a little while, what a difference it made. My mind stopped spinning, my body relaxed, and I felt calmer and more focused. My mind became clearer, and I could evaluate my list of to-dos, seeing them for what they were instead of the drama my brain was offering me.

Being aware of the thoughts our brains offer to us and questioning those thoughts, along with making the time to just sit and be still are the most powerful things any of us can do to create the peace and calm we desire as we strive for the life we want, especially while living with anxiety.