-
Intentional
a. So the intentional part is developing that ability to be able to step back, and
recognize those kinds of worry thoughts and negative thoughts. Okay, and
actually be able to see them and not get caught up with them, to chose to step
back and let them pass you by. Right, and some people may choose to
practice that, and some may not, that's their choice, right?
W hat would you say to a high schooler who experiences stress and anxiety
constantly?
a. Okay so the first thing is that you are not alone, I think that is really important
because when we deal with stress and anxiety we don’t feel good, it’s not a
good feeling, right? We tried to hide it, we try to swallow it, and we don’t
want to have it because it doesn’t feel good. And so sometimes when we have
those feelings of stress and anxiety we want to put a lid on it and fight it, and
that actually is the worst thing we can do because it will just manifest and get
bigger and bigger. So when a young person experiences this, know that you
are not alone, and turn yourself to look at this, how does it feel for you, how
does it feel when you are in a state of stress, such as the physical sensations in
your body, and recognizing what that means to you. Turning to face it helps,
and then once you can do that it’s about allowing yourself to ground yourself,
to focus on the breath. Breathing practices I would say are the most useful
and powerful tools which young people can have. In the .b course, we do the
7/11 which is very helpful, when your out breath is longer than your inhale,
that helps to calm you down.
F inally, if you could say one thing to all the young people experiencing
anxiety and stress in the world, what would it be?
a. ...What would it be?... I would say remember that we are called a human
being for a reason, that the being is more important than the doing, right? We
are not called human doings. And sometimes we get lost in doing, got to do
this, got to do that, and we lose sight of just being and enjoying life a little bit.