Ten years ago I suffered from severe, debilitating panic attacks. Anyone who knows what that is like, can comprehend how it literally grips you and sucks the life force from your veins.
Sounds possibly over dramatic. It was that bad.
It reached a level where I couldn’t even hold down a job. The level of anxiety and panic stirred like a tempest within.
Struggling through that was very challenging, though I can say, it is true that the greatest hardships have the potential to be our greatest teachers.
I followed a course which led me to many things, one of the most instrumental in my healing was learning to address the incessant negativity and fear within.
I started foraging into the world of visualization, meditation and affirmations.
How we think and the thoughts which we tell ourselves or allow in everyday, dictate our life. If we are unaware of this unruly presence , we are subject to it’s whims.
We are always thinking, thoughts create feelings and feelings and thoughts repeated, create beliefs.
The great news is that we can, through effort and awareness, change these thoughts, thus impacting significantly upon our entire lives and experiences.
Meditation can be so powerful, there are many forms. I practiced the breath awareness meditation for some time. When we focus upon our breath, we train our mind to be able to focus upon one thing at a time, not to be tempted by distractions.
Visualization was a relaxing escapade. In my case I had to re train my body in the art of relaxation. There was a point where I literally could not relax at all. There are a whole host of scenarios you can indulge in whilst visualizing. It can be extremely healing and powerful.
One of my main aids, and I praise them so highly was a company called Brainsync. They have a revolutionary system, scientifically tested which can actually bring your brain wave frequency to a more relaxed state. We have four brain wave states. Beta is basically a panic, high alert state, Alpha, a meditative state, Theta, a healing state close to sleep and Delta, dream state. Through listening with headphones your brain can be brought to these states. I would highly recommend people looking at their website;
Http://www.brainsync.com
Affirmations are positive statements which can be repeated in our minds as and when we so choose. They have the potential to replace previous negative self talk with more positive and encouraging statements. If we truly think about it, are we talking to ourselves the way we would speak to our best friend? If not, we need to change that, and we can change the words which we use.
Forwarding on some years, I can say that I am a different person. I still get challenged but am able to bring myself back to a state of equilibrium. I now have the tools and understanding I lacked at the beginning of my journey.
Hopefully this may empower and encourage anyone else who has struggled with this challenge. Know that each one of us have the complete power to dictate what we say to ourselves.
Be your own best friend and create the perfect life for you. That is within all of our powers.