Change is Inevitable
Anxiety is fear and fear is often stemmed by uncertainty and change. But change is inevitable, and we are living through a period right now where every day comes with a hefty dose of uncertainty. We fear change because we cannot anticipate the outcome. We try to keep our daily routines consistent and predictable. A last-minute visitor or unexpected dinner plans can put us into a panic. Bigger changes such as a sudden or even planned change in jobs or move can send us into a tailspin.
Your brain likes being in control. Uncertainty generates a strong alert response in our limbic system; that is why we worry. That is why we speculate—we’d rather create a fictional story than not know what will happen. Our fear of change is based on stories—both real and the imagined ones we tell ourselves. We narrate our lives as if they are out of our control—we feel as we are playing a part someone else wrote for us.
Your life is not a book written by others—creates your own storyline. The fact that most outcomes are out of your control does not mean you cannot play a more active role.
The COVID-19 pandemic has likely brought many changes to how you live your life, and with-it uncertainty, altered daily routines, financial pressures, and social isolation. You may worry about getting sick, how long the pandemic will last, whether you will lose your job, and what the future will bring. Information overload, rumors and misinformation can make your life feel out of control and make it unclear what to do.
We do not know what is changing from one day to the next. However, change is the law of life; you are either moving forward or backward and which direction you go in is entirely up to you. Learning how to embrace change and accept fear can help you propel forward towards overcoming your anxiety.
Remember, Change is an Invitation to Opportunity
Change is scary. Fear of change is real and many of the changes we are going through right now are scary. But with every change comes an opportunity to evolve. When faced with a change, it is almost always an invitation to an opportunity. Look deeper into what is triggering your anxiety to see how you can take this anxious moment to help other people and grow as a person. If you have been laid off, perhaps this is your calling to explore other skills you have or to develop some new ones. If you are recovering COVID 19 patient or have someone in your family going through the challenges of covid 19, you should share with the world about your own hero journey, how you recovered from the illness, how your loved ones managed to combat the repercussions of the pandemic. If you lost anyone dear to you to this pandemic, then share it with the world not just your painful story, but the lessons you learned from your loss. This would allow you to give outlet to your pent-up emotions, educate people and help them embrace change, and perhaps you discover your life purpose while in the process of helping other people navigate their pandemic challenges.
Change is always a calling to:
• Learn new things.
• Develop new qualities, such as courage, persistence, and flexibility.
• Master new skills
• Look deeper within yourself to reveal the underlying cause.
• Become a beacon of inspiration and help other people.
Change awakens your soul.
On the global level, change is happening right now in form of Covid outbreak. On the subconscious level, many people craved to have time for themselves, more time for their family, work from home, eat healthy food, connect with God ...it is all manifesting now. The truth is people only go inwards or make changes in their lives when they get some sort of soul shock. Often situations like near death experiences, or death of a loved one, loss of jobs, breakups, pandemic trigger a spiritual awakening. A chocking event often leaves us feeling “empty” inside and filled with questions about life after death, God etc. When we can’t find the comfort, we need from the people around us, it forces us to look inside ourselves to find the answers we seek. However, it is not necessary to wait for something drastic to happen in our lives until we learn to shift our consciousness and become more spiritually awakened and aware. We can shift our consciousness deliberately. The next time change occurs in your life, try one of these three techniques to help you transition easily and effortlessly.
1. Embrace the healing power of nature!
Look deep into nature, and then you can understand everything better. - Albert Einstein-
Whenever I feel overwhelmed, depleted, or just looking for inspiration, I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. Natural healing power of nature instantly replenish my body, mind and spirit.
Longer time studies looking at brain activity of people after three days of being in nature reveal lower levels of theta activity suggesting that their brains are rested.
Scientific validation on healing power of nature
A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) found that participants who walked for 90 minutes through a green park on campus, versus strolling next to a loud nearby highway, exhibited “quieter” brains and dwelled less on the negative aspects of their lives (vs. how they felt pre-walk) in follow-up brain scans and questionnaires. They also experienced decreased activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with depression. Basically, walking in nature was shown to have an almost immediate positive effect on overall mood.
An in-depth analysis of 143 studies published in Environmental Research, found that health benefits of green spaces on humans include improved heart rate and blood pressure, statistically significant reductions in cholesterol levels, improved sleep duration and neurological outcomes. They're also linked to reductions in the prevalence of type II diabetes, cardiovascular mortality, and overall mortality.
How to meditate in nature
A meditation in nature can provide a visual lesson and calmness for your next change. Find a comfortable spot outside, set a timer for 15 to 20 minutes, and observe.
Meditations done in natural surroundings help to enliven the basic intelligence of nature in our awareness and physiology. Our being resonates with the sight of a flower, sound of birds, feeling of the breeze. These experiences wake something up inside of us and help to set our lives into a more natural rhythm.
Find a comfortable position sitting or lying down.
Begin with a few deep breaths, breathing deep into the belly, to help you relax and to bring you to the sensations of the present moment.
Allow yourself to experience the sights, sounds and smells without labeling them and becoming mentally involved with them.
Take a mental note of everything you see: the sky, the animals, color of the trees, and items on the ground.
Notice the tendency of the mind to name and evaluate everything -- "Oh, look at that beautiful bird. What kind is it? Is it here all winter or where does it go?" When these kinds of thoughts come up, let them go. Simply experience the colors, shape, sounds, movement of the bird or whatever else you are experiencing. Let it be an experience without meaning and without reference to any other experience.
Experience everything with an open awareness, as if you'd never experienced anything like it before. As always, when the mind wanders and becomes caught up in thought, simply bring it back to the experience of nature.
2. Breathing and witnessing your thoughts and emotions to Alleviate Anxiety.
When people are anxious, they tend to take rapid, shallow breaths that come directly from the chest.
This type of breathing, called thoracic or chest breathing, causes an upset in the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the body resulting in increased heart rate, dizziness, muscle tension, and other physical sensations.
Your blood is not being properly oxygenated, and this may signal a stress response that contributes to anxiety and panic attacks.
A mindful breathing exercise is all you need to restore the balance in your breath and slow it down.
This short meditation is designed to help you to restore the balance in your breath and witness your thoughts and emotions. Your goal should not be to control your thoughts but to release control over them. When you consciously become aware of your thoughts, you can discover a lot about yourself — your preoccupations, needs, worries, and values, among others. Some themes will emerge over and over. You will also begin to notice that your emotions and thoughts change and dissolve over time. “This too shall pass” is a motto that accurately describes the flow of our mental activity. You don’t actually have to join the parade of thoughts; you can choose what to notice.
3. Practice Gratitude Meditation
I’ve said it a million times before and I’ll say it again, practicing gratitude is crucial for learning how to embrace change and overcome anxiety. When you have gratitude in your life, you’re able to look at any situation you find yourself in and see the light.
To put it into perspective, if you’re out of a job due to this pandemic (a horrible situation where it is OKAY to be stressed out), gratitude will help you focus on the positive instead of worrying about the things you can’t control. Some things you may be grateful for in this situation include being alive, being able to sleep in, being able to enjoy a nice warm breakfast, spending more time with your kids, downsizing, or finally having the time to clear out your storage to sell things for extra money.
Change is scary and gratitude won’t take away the reality of the situation, but worry won’t make it any better either.
Research shows that people who practice gratitude meditation regularly have a well-balanced blood pressure level, better metabolism, and enhanced mood conditions. The reason is simple. By focusing positively on the wrong sides of life, we can change the way we think and feel about them.
Do this meditation to cultivate the power to reform your thoughts from the very roots of the subconscious mind. This meditation helps mind melt away the worries, anxieties, insecurities, and all those negative emotions that were clogging it. With a clear unadulterated mind, we can then contemplate what we are grateful for in life and rejoice in the newly discovered self-mastery.
Meditation is even more productive when you combine it with other healthy lifestyle choices and spiritual rituals. Take a look at your daily habits.
Maintain a healthy diet: A diet full of processed foods and sugar aggravates anxiety and depression. Get most of your calories from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins. Diet g(meat, caffeine, shellfish, most junk food, prepackaged foods that contain chemical additives and preservatives and chocolate are all low vibration foods that can block divine guidance) so try to avoid eating anything that is not healthy.
Limit alcohol and caffeine: Too much coffee may give you the jitters, and self-medicating with alcohol usually backfires. See if cutting back makes a difference.
Exercise more: Physical activity melts away anxiety and stress. That’s especially true for vigorous aerobic workouts like running or rowing.
Rest and relax: Fight anxiety with a good night’s sleep and occasional breaks during the day. Go to bed on a consistent schedule.
Clean your office and home and get rid of the clutter: This one is a no-brainer. Clean your tabletops, your closets and even your workstation to free up space and invite positivity your way. Make it a point to get rid of the clutter and do not hoard items that you no longer need.
Put a pause on cribbing and whining: Make a mental note of the number of times you complain in a day about changes in your life. When you do so, you will realize a lot of times, the whining and cribbing were completely unnecessary. The more you whine about what is irritating you, the more you pay attention to what is upsetting you and then you complain some more. Focus on the solution instead of cribbing and complaining as it does not solve anything.
Smudging and salt: You can also take the help of certain unconventional approaches to get rid of negative vibes. Pour salt into the four corners of your room and let it sit for 48 hours. It is believed that salt absorbs the negative energy present in the surroundings. After 48 hours, throw the salt away. You can also try smudging your room with a sage smudge stick for positivity. If you do not have sage smudge sticks, you can also use good quality incense stick for a similar effect.
Limit screen time: Turn off electronic devices for some time each day, including 30 minutes before bedtime. Make a conscious effort to spend less time in front of a screen — television, tablet, computer and phone. Constant news about COVID-19 from all types of media can heighten fears about the disease. Limit social media that may expose you to rumors and false information. Also limit reading, hearing or watching other news, but keep up to date on national and local recommendations. Look for reliable sources, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Following these habits to manage stress and add a sense of normalcy can go a long way to help you cope with the ever-changing environment and help keep those around you.
Do this meditation to enhance the way you live. This meditation will make you fully present to those around us so that you can even more deeply appreciate life’s impermanent pleasures. It will help you embrace the constant change, and more easily take on challenges like today’s Coronavirus crisis and other challenges in your life.
Do not wait until the next change swoops into your life before you try these techniques. Daily meditations and self-observation make these sudden changes to your life seem less traumatic. Remind yourself that whatever change you might be fighting against could be a new opportunity.