I used to be anxious all the time.

In my 30’s, the person I was engaged to marry told me my anxiety was one of his biggest concerns about moving forward with me.

Even with really great self-awareness practices (some of which I love and practice to this day) and therapy, I could not stop being anxious.

When my massage therapy clients would tell me they wanted to “be calm like [me],” inside myself I felt like a fraud.

And I thought my anxiety was my fault.

A few years ago I learned about the Polyvagal Theory of the nervous system and a research-based auditory intervention to reset my nervous system.

I learned that my stress responses (in my case, anxious hyper-vigilance which I’d then try to soothe with food) were completely understandable and, actually, signs of a nervous system doing exactly what it was supposed to do: keep me safe!

I learned that when my body doesn’t feel safe and connected, it is impossible to fully take in the benefits of otherwise wonderful interventions like psychotherapy, like meditation, like Focusing…

I learned that there are ways to reset my nervous system for connection rather than for anxiety and shutdown.

These days I am in a friendly relationship with myself, which means that when anxiety arises (MUCH less often than it used to) I am able to turn toward it and practice being friendly and curious about how it might be trying to help me. (Because it is!) I often feel playful (not possible when my nervous system was constantly disregulated)… And most days I enjoy waking up to a new day.

If stress is keeping you from connecting with people who matter to you, and if you have a less-than-friendly and kind relationship with your self, I’d love to invite you to my FREE masterclass:

RELAXED U: BECAUSE WHEN YOU FEEL BETTER, YOU LOVE BETTER!
Date: Sunday, March 20, 2022
Time: 1 PM Eastern | 10 AM Pacific (GMT -5)

Grab your seat to:

• get immediate relief from stress, anxiety, overwhelm…
• feel present and connected to yourself and others
• learn 3 key steps to calming your nervous system
  (i.e., your cheat sheet for later, because yes: stress happens! )

I’m putting a stake in the ground for you and your nervous system to begin playing on the same awesome team!

Let’s turn your stress into relaxed connection…together. Register NOW!

xoHeidi

PS Have a friend you’d like to invite? Send them HERE (where you, and anyone you want to invite, need to register: https://heidistable.com/product/relaxedu2022/)

The post How I stopped being anxious all the time 🥺 (and became a friend to myself in the process 🤗) appeared first on Heidi's Table.