Earlier this week after a long weekend break I experienced an old familiar episode of “feeling low”

When I feel like this, it has a physical as well as a mental dimension to it, and I feel completely overwhelmed by what seems to be a multitude of negativity flowing into my head whilst at the same time feeling light headed and anxious.

I have learned three important concepts for coping with this feeling through the Integral Coaching that I am undertaking and developing through:-

1/ When your are in it – notice it – give each thought a name i.e past, present or future issue

2/ When you are in it – tell yourself – IT WILL PASS!

3/ When you are in it – expand your experience to bring the issues which cause suffering some wider perspective.

So I noticed that my experience of feeling low on Tuesday morning was about future worries about whether I had the strength to continue in my pressured role at work and whether I would be able to continue until retirement which is some years ahead.

I noticed that this anxiety about the future is a recurring fear which has its roots in a past experience some years ago when I suffered a catastrophic loss of confidence in a previous role.

I noticed that the reality in the present is that I am doing really well, I am well respected, competent, hard-working and actually enjoying my job.

As I knew it would, the feeling passed and I am back in the present dealing with the pressures of each day as well as the rewards so that fears of the future have some perspective but are not in control of me.

By listening to myself and the feedback from others I was better placed to cope with my feelings earlier this week and I am better prepared for coping the next time that I am feeling low.

Try it!

My next blog will be: My Mothers Wonderful Dream

William Defoe