< PreviousStart to observe your anxiety pattern. What triggers it? Is it certain situations, people, your work environment or somethingelse. Try and identify what sets off your anxiety. Be aware of what activates your anxiety, this gives you power over it. STEP 1OBSERVESTEP 2BREATHEWhen you feel the anxious feeling growing inside you, begin to take slow deep breaths. Breath in for 3, hold for 2, breath out for 3. Slow, deep breaths. Feel your lungs expanding, hold and release.This will minimise the attack as well as naturally relaxing the body and mind. When the anxiety shows up, bring your attention into the present moment.Shift your focus and put your attention inside of your body. Feel your feet on the ground, feel your bum on the chair, notice the energy in your hands. This may sound weird, but practice this! It is an invaluable life skill. By having your attention focused within your body, the mind can’t create as much drama as it doesn’t have your full attention. Another way to this is to focus your gaze on something. Maybe a crystal, a plant or just the pen you are holding. Now concentrate on the object, notice how it looks, feels, observe the texture, the colour. Practice doing this when the anxiety emotion is at its maximum and you will feel that the anxiety will subside. Anxiety and being present cannot co-exist for very long. STEP 3BE PRESENTAllow the anxiety to be there, don’t fight it. Use Step 3 of being present during the anxiety attack, but also allow it. Let yourself feel the emotion, feel it without judgement. Try not to panic, just allow it to be there. Anxiety is magnified by our reaction to it, we get anxious about being anxious! It’s a vicious circle that can be broken. You need to allow and release any resistance to that moment. ‘What you resist persists’, from ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne. Journaling is a brilliant way to track your anxiety thought patterns. Each day take the time to journal your emotions, what triggered you today and how did you deal with it. You will begin to see patterns and by digging deeper you may be able to uncover the true cause of the anxiety. What is it that you’re afraid of happening? Journal, journal and journal some more! Every dayif you can. If you can get to the bottom of that fear, then you are well on the way to slaying those anxiety attacks! Always end each journaling session with a gratitude exercise. List 3 things that you are grateful for in your life. The little things are just as important as the big things. Being grateful for your home, your comfy bed, your full fridge, a compliment from a friend or a smile from a stranger. Ending your day with that feeling of gratitude alone can bring massive shifts in your emotional wellbeing. STEP 4ALLOWSTEP 5JOURNALOand we attract to us more of the dominant energy that we give out. What we give out, we receive back. So, if you are living in a high anxiety state, then you will attract to you more things to cause anxiety. This is the Law of Attraction. Our energy creates our reality. By applying the tips above, you will begin to shift your energy into a different state. You will emanate a more harmonious vibration and your life will begin to change.The happier you begin to feel within yourself, the more you will attract to you things that make you feel good. ur bodies are made of energy So be brave, take the first step, you got this! It just takes a little practice. SELF-CAREBy Desiree Marie Leedo I’ve witnessed time and time again how dramatically it’s changed my life as well as the lives of hundreds of other women I have worked with over the years. These days we hear so much about self- care but what’s concerning is how often it’s referenced as a treat or reward - a way to give back to ourselves for all the giving we do because “we’re worth it”. From blissful candlelit bubble baths to regular spa visits, overhauling our appearance, luxuriating in high-end fragrances and body treatments all the way through to enjoying lush holidays abroad. ’m a big fan of self-care.IHOW TO RECEIVEBut if we’re treating these activities as self- entitled rewards that counter-balance the frenzied lifestyles we lead then we’re in dangerof always having to justify our self-care by first proving that we’ve earned it. This is not the territory of real self-care – quite the opposite, it’s a state of desperation and lack that blocks receiving! This approach to self-care can never propel you into a happy life in which your goals are realised. Real self-care in its highest and purest form is about introducing pleasure into your life every day because you understand at the deepest level that you’re here on earth to live a joyful life. Increasing the amount of time you spend enjoying your life creates new space for more of what you desire to enter. Remember the last time you felt super happy and were really enjoying your life? Did you notice how effortlessly more of the good stuff seemed to move in? That’s the purpose of real self-care. If you’re depleted and miserable on the inside, do you really have anything to give? Not really, you’re probably building resentment because you feel you’re left with the crumbs. Iagree, we are worth it and these can all be wonderful ways to receive.ut when you fill up your own cup first Band open to receiving all the good your heart desires, you carve out a new path to a meaningful, self- satisfied and successful life. So if self-care isn’t purely about rewarding ourselves, then what does it really look like and how can we infuse more of it into our lives in a way that truly empowers us? Real self-care is a daily discipline that builds a powerful momentum over time and it’s built around three key ingredients: This is the foundation of self-care. It’s established through meditative practices like deep breathing, yoga, walking in nature, journaling frustrated and insightful emotions and finding ways to quiet the mental noise so that you can hear your inner voice. When you engage yourself in this way, you allow your energy to expand, instantly placing yourself in a more receptive state. Self- ConnectionThis is the next essential ingredient. With your foundation of Self-Connection (vision and intuition) now firmly in place, you can prioritise and protect what matters to you so that it can flourish.Just as the walls of your home define the boundaries of your living space, you will need to define your inter-personal boundaries so as to protect the intangible facets of your life – your time, energy and dreams. We only have so much time and energy available to us each day so it’s important to work out where you need to say ‘no’ to free up a ‘yes’ to your new priorities. BoundariesNow for the final and most critical component of self-care – receiving! Stay with me now and if you’re tempted to start thinking that this step is selfish then I’m here to assure you that becoming self-full in this way is the most selfless thing you can do for your loved ones. They’re going to love and enjoy you so much more when you’re living and sharing from this incredible place. Before you start your day, ask yourself: ReceivingWHAT DO I WANT TORECEIVE FOR MYSELF THAT’S JOYFUL TODAY? with commitment each day will allow you to start experiencing your life in the most delicious new way! This kind of self-care is a potent change agent that can positively influence every area of your life if you let it - including your health, wealth and relationships. ractising these powerful self-care steps PI hope the day will come when you find yourself humming away, smiling quietly and confidently to yourself and radiating wellbeing as you effortlessly soak up the love and beauty all around you - purely because you feel happy and fulfilled - and for no other reason at all. That day you’ll know that you’ve mastered the art of real self-care! And on that day, I hope you’ll spread the love and the sisterhood with every other woman you know by sharing your secret. It really can lead you to creating the kind of life you’ve only ever dreamed of. ―Next >