Anxiety And The Here And Now

“When the big things feel out of control...focus on what you love right under your nose.”

― Charlie Mackesy, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

Anxiety occurs as a result of our bodies fight or flight mechanism. In prehistoric times this sensation would ensure we ran from our predator or stayed put to fight our corner. In modern times, the busy rush of life can result in our defence system becoming overactive. Our bodies may constantly feel like it’s a battle ground, perhaps we can’t settle, want to run, or pace up and down. A hormone called cortisol may make our hearts race, our breathing may be faster than normal. Anxiety may make us catastrophize about the future, over time we may become low or depressed.

If we are able to slow down, take time to experience what is happening in the here and now, we may feel less anxious

In the book Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, we see the above quote. Taking time for yourself to focus, even if for 10 minutes may provide some release. In nature, finding a place to sit and listening out for the different sounds you can hear, look at the different things you can see, smell the different things you can smell, we may feel a temporary release from our anxious mind