Balance December 2017 - 42

HELLO FEAR, MY OLD FRIEND

DON'T BE AFRAID
If you're noticing an emotional charge to your
thoughts and feelings, and it feels urgent, it's
probably fear talking. Intuition is subtle. It
gently nudges in the form of a hunch or a gut
feeling. Have you noticed yourself searching
for reasons not to take that new job, or plan that
solo trip? Chances are fear is taking the wheel.
Emma Bradford, an intuitive coach,
recently shared her idea that fear is 'finding
excuses and reasons'. Are you talking yourself
out of that opportunity? Instead, ask yourself
'What would I choose if I knew I couldn't fail?'
When fearful you often get a strong urge
to run away or avoid what's prompting the
fear. In fight or flight mode, the amygdala
(the emotional brain that tends to see things
in black and white) takes over and the frontal
cortex, your rational brain, is subjugated.
The amygdala makes everything seem like
an emergency. To be able to listen to your
intuition you need to calm down and get
out of fight or flight. When in fear mode,
you are out of touch with both your intuition
and your ability to reason. This is clearly not
ideal for decision-making or figuring out
what's best for you. 

42

FIND
YOUR
BALANCE
PRACTICAL
TIPS FOR
CONNECTING
TO YOUR
INTUITION
GET OUTSIDE
Taking a break, ideally out in
nature, while breathing deeply
will help to calm your monkey
mind so you can listen to your
inner wisdom. Make decisions
outdoors, away from what
makes you feel stressed.

MOVE IT
Exercise uses up excess
adrenaline and burns off the
extra energy stress and
anxiety create, getting us back
into relaxation mode more
quickly. Exercise calms the
mind and the nervous system.
Whatever you do, move.

STAY FOCUSED
Don't use distraction as a way
to block out bad emotions. By
doing so you also miss out on
important information your
body wants to communicate.
The more you can learn to sit
with and notice your feelings
the easier it will be to listen to
your inner GPS. Sit with your
feelings - whatever you're
experiencing is OK.

TAKE TIME OFF
Make sure you don't leave
taking a break until a moment
when you have time because
other priorities will almost
always get in the way. Resting
is of equal value to working.
Make it easier to stick to it by
putting it in your diary.
Schedule in that walk, yoga
class or reading time.

SHUT OUT THE NOISE
Meditation. The more you
quieten your mind and calm
your nervous system, the less
mental noise there is, and
the more you'll hear the
gentle nudges.

BA
December
LA N CE2017
September
BA LA N2017
CE

D ON' T F IGH T

FACE IT
AND WIN

Learn to float with
anxious feelings,
relax with them
and allow them to
be there; they
will reduce on
their own.

Fear could
actually be pointing
you towards what's
most important to you.
You're scared of being hurt because what
you really crave is love. You're afraid to take
the promotion because your work means so
much to you. There is little in life that feels as
good as overcoming fear. Your anxiety about,
say, speaking in public, could be an invitation
for you to learn and grow.
What if your anxiety wasn't a sign to run
away, but a reason to move towards? You
won't get over your social anxiety by staying
home from the party. Always remember
something that is true for all of us; our fear
shrinks when we walk towards it. B
Chloe Brotheridge is a hypnotherapist
and anxiety expert at calmer-you.com.
She is also the author of The Anxiety
Solution: A Quieter Mind, A Calmer
You (£12.99, Michael Joseph).

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

W

hether you
believe intuition
is the wisdom of
the subconscious
mind, a gut
feeling or a sixth spiritual sense, many agree
there's a small voice inside that tries to steer us
in the right direction. But how do you know if
it's fear or intuition that's governing you?
Being able to trust yourself is clearly hugely
important. Except anxiety fuels self-doubt
so you're never sure if you're doing the right
thing. Living in a city like London can make
it worse. Overwhelmed by choice, bombarded
with information and the pace of life - it puts
us in fight or flight mode much of the time.
Not to mention the fact that Christmas is
one of the busiest, most stressful times of
the year with an increased to-do list so
downtime takes a hit.
So, how do you find clarity amidst the
chaos? It is said that intuition whispers, while
fear shouts. When you're tuned into your
intuition, you feel an internal GPS is guiding
you. You can follow your inner wisdom and
life seems easier and simpler somehow.


http://www.calmer-you.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance December 2017

Balance December 2017 - 1
Balance December 2017 - 2
Balance December 2017 - 3
Balance December 2017 - 4
Balance December 2017 - 5
Balance December 2017 - 6
Balance December 2017 - 7
Balance December 2017 - 8
Balance December 2017 - 9
Balance December 2017 - 10
Balance December 2017 - 11
Balance December 2017 - 12
Balance December 2017 - 13
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