Photo of the week: Brownie! This photo was taken when we were bringing her home just after we adopted her. You can’t see it, but she was shaking. She had no idea where she was going or what was happening. Being nervous made sense.

Sometimes, I get nervous, seemingly about nothing. Sometimes a day is going along nicely, and then that familiar feeling of tension in my stomach comes along. Or sometimes, I do have something to do that is innocent, like cleaning my bedroom, and that feeling comes up again.

Our bodies have nerves and brains that are always scanning for danger. That is good! Sometimes they pick up on something that the logic part of our brains doesn’t even recognize as a danger. That feeling of anxiety is trying to protect us from something that may be familiar to our nervous system.

For example, today I have to run an errand and I feel anxious. My logical brain says it is not a big deal. And likely, once I start out the door, the nervousness will ease up. But all day, I have been thinking of this thing.

This is what I do with this feeling: First, I notice where it is in my body. For me, it is in my stomach. It feels like I have adrenaline rushing through me. Then, I sit with the feeling and get curious about it. What about this errand is getting to me? I realize it is that a part of me has been running thoughts about what could go wrong. They are vague ideas, not fully formed. So, I try to shine a light on them. Be specific, what is the fear? It has something to do with an expectation coming from somewhere. Honestly, I think what it is is that I am shy. I feel much more comfortable running errands with someone else. When it is only me, I sometimes feel like I appear awkward.

The next thing I do, once I have some specific fears in mind, I think about times I have done these things before and it works out fine. I remember details about doing this before and how I felt better once I started. I have noticed that when I am anxious, I get very still. So, for me, once I move in the direction of the errand, get dressed, go to the car, etc., I feel better.

This all happens fairly quickly, and I feel more calm. The anxiety is not completely gone. But I have changed my relationship to it. It is no longer ruling my emotions. It is more of an annoyance now.

What helps you when you feel nervous about something small or about nothing at all? Please share your ideas!