Thank The angst

People always say gratitude is the antidote to anxiety but when I’m feeling anxious about something I find it really hard to just move my mind to gratitude. I know I need to get there but I need a pathway to help me. My favourite way to do this is to thank the angst! What I do is I try to find a blessing in the anxious thought I’m having, I notice a gift that it’s bringing me and I thank it.

Here’s how my thinking goes.

“Ugh, was I present enough with my kids this weekend? Was I patient enough? Did I see them and hear them and smell them and love them as much as I intended to? Thank you anxiety for reminding me how present I want to be with my kids. I’m good. I did my best. I was human and imperfect and made mistakes AND I was also there with them. I calmed myself before responding as much as I could. I did see them and hear them and smell them and love them. Thank you for reminding me to stay committed to my goals to be peaceful and present. You can float away now.”

And there it goes. I’ve moved from anxiety to gratitude.

Thank the angst.