Why Am I So Anxious??!

A patient asked me the other day: “Why do I get so anxious? I get anxious about everything–my work, my kids, my health. Even if I’m waiting for something good to happen, I get anxious waiting. Why do I so often feel anxiety?”

Anxiety is one of the #1 symptoms patients have and is a leading cause of illness. When we’re anxious it has immediate and multiple detrimental effects on our body.

In fact, 85 percent of chronic illnesses have an emotional component. That means the cellular disease in the body is created by the underlying fear, anger or other emotions that are stuck in the body and have not been fully resolved.

So where does anxiety come from?

Anxiety arises whenever our focus of attention is in the future and we are imagining or anticipating a negative result.

Other emotions such as guilt, sadness and anger arise when our attention is focused in the past. We’re focused on what we wish we didn’t do, what bad thing was done to us or what we think we have lost. Either way, these harmful emotions arise when we’re not present, focused in our body.

One way to release anxiety or address any of these harmful emotional states is to get into your body!

The body ONLY lives in the NOW, so connecting with your physical body immediately pops you out of future focus and into the present, where everything feels different.

Instead of fearing your imagined outcome–one that hasn’t even happened and, thus is not “real”–you deal with what is really going on NOW, in reality.

Here’s a way to do it:

1. Breathe into your body and feel your breath.

This is the fastest way to get present in any moment. The more you practice, the better you become at immediately releasing a bad mood and boosting healing in your body.

2. FEEL the emotion (anxiety, anger, etc.) Where is it located in your body? What size is it? Does it have texture? Color?

3. Describe this in detail just like you were talking to friend who loves you.

4. Bring all of your attention to the feeling as you continue to breathe.

Just this alone usually changes it.

5. Then, move it up inside your body.

Just see it moving even an inch upwards in your body. See if that makes it all change, even go away completely.

I can’t wait to hear how this goes for you, so try it right now and let me know!!

Usually this works VERY fast!

Be well!

-Dr.Kim