You Can Handle This

When we are in “it”, “it” can feel completely overwhelming. This exercise is all about practicing mindfulness to process the hard times. By doing this, you can actually train your brain to recognize its own resilience (can be in the moment or practice training brain)

When we are in “it” whatever “it” might be for you, it can completely feel overwhelming. It can feel like there is no way out or no way you will be able to handle it. But you are capable of handling more than you give yourself credit for. Think about all of the difficult emotions you have experienced in your life. They always pass. You always make it through them. This exercise is all about practicing mindfulness to process the hard times. By doing this, you can actually deepen the neural pathways and train yourself (your brain) to recognize your own resilience. And when you can do that, you will see you are capable of handling life’s challenges and train your mind to know you are okay. You will get through this too. Let’s practice…

• Close your eyes and adjust your posture so that you are comfortable. Feel your feet on the floor, your body touching the couch/chair/etc. And your breath coming in and out. Concentrating on each of these physical points of contact will help ground you in the present.
• Bring to mind a difficult emotion you are experiencing or have experienced recently. Don’t let yourself fully jump into the story. But instead, think about the feeling. Listen to your body. How does it actually feel? What is your heart doing? Your stomach? Muscles? Jaw? Has your breathing changed?
• Allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling. Tune in to your capacity to feel it. Does it feel overwhelming? Are you able to handle it in this single moment? Give yourself a couple of minutes here to tune into each feeling and if you are able to be present with it right now. 
• Now I want you to tune into your mind….when this emotion(s) is present, what is your mind doing? What thoughts are you experiencing? Are you able to handle these thoughts at this moment?
• For the last couple of minutes, reflect on the pains and challenges you have already faced over your life. Small frustrations all the way to larger grief and tragedy. Now listen to these words….you have made it to this moment. To right now. To today. Recognize the resiliency that it took to make it to this moment. And remember that as you face your current or future challenges, you are indeed capable!