Have you ever been worried about something and been reminded that you shouldn't worry? I have. Whether it has been reading a Bible verse about it or having someone tell me or even just remembering that I shouldn't be worrying about stuff. Regardless of how we are reminded, we all know that we shouldn't worry. Knowing that we shouldn't worry isn't the problem. We all know that we shouldn't worry about the future. The problem is, if we stop worrying, what do we do instead?
I remember one morning on my first teaching placement when I woke up feeling very anxious about the day. I read Bible verses about not worrying, I prayed, I cried, I talked to someone else about it, but I didn't have a lot of success with stopping the worrying. I now know that instead of worrying about the future all the time, I need to learn skills to manage the worry (not the focus of this blog post) and then learn to live in the present. That is MUCH easier said than done and it is a skill that needs to be learned.
- What are five things that I can see?
- What are four things that I can feel?
- What are three things that I can hear?
- What are two things that I can smell?
- What is one thing that I can taste?
This is a start. It definitely helps, but it is just a start. There are other skills that help with managing worry as well as being in the present.
Resources:
Here is a link to a worksheet that explains the five senses exercise in more detail: Five Senses Worksheet
Here is a link to a video that explains the five senses exercise in more detail: Coping Skill: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Grounding Technique
And remember that you can always call Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) if you are struggling and need some help. They are great.
