My morning menopausal anxiety seems to be a bit more prevalent at the moment.
I am getting it more often and it can last more than a morning.
It is a reminder that I used to feel like this almost every day a couple of years ago so I am grateful that it doesn’t hang around as often as it used to do.
That may be because I have a little ‘hack’ (I really don’t like the use of that word for some reason, but it seems to fit here) that can send it packing, albeit sometimes reluctantly!
My anxiety can start as soon as I open my eyes. I feel a sense of impending doom, as if something bad is going to happen, but I have no idea what.
I seem to choose to make things worse for myself as I then begin to make a crap movie in my mind of all the bad things that might happen, and also catastrophising about things that have already happened.
As if that is not enough, I then, for some reason, add another million unnecessary things to my ‘to do’ list and the thought of that Zoom meeting at 2.00pm feels like a step too far and I just want to hide in the bottom of my wardrobe.
When I now find myself directing my own crap movie, I notice and then refer back to one of my favourite quotes form Eckhart Tolle…
“Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there”
Please read that line again.
I am actually just going to leave this with you to ponder on, but I will give you a clue….
How much of your waking day do you truly spend living in ‘THE NOW’?
Just notice yourself this week, notice your mind wandering, worrying about something that happened last week (there), and worrying about something that is going to happen in the future (there). All the while really missing what is going on RIGHT NOW (Here).
Notice where your mind wanders when you are out walking, driving, putting the washing on or emptying the dishwasher…are you HERE while wanting to be THERE?
What proportion of your time is spent HERE…NOW…in the PRESENT?
Noticing this works almost every time for me, to calm that menopausal anxious mind. I breathe and tell myself everything is ok and I breathe again while I bring myself back to the present moment and put an end to the disaster movie that I was making in my head.
Notice, notice notice, and when you are feeling anxious, stressed, angry or unhappy, then ask yourself is it because you are wanting to be living over ‘there’ instead of noticing the precious present moment?
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