Hey there, friend. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. You know, it's late November, that time when the holidays are creeping up and suddenly our nervous systems are like, "Wait, what? You want me to be calm AND productive AND present?" Yeah, I hear you. Today, we're going to work with something I call the Anchor and Release, and I promise it's going to feel like relief in a bottle.

Before we dive in, I want you to find a comfortable seat somewhere—your couch, your desk, wherever. You don't need to sit like a statue. Just find a place where your body feels supported. If you're standing, that's beautiful too. Now, let your shoulders drop away from your ears. Can you feel that little shift? That's already you making friends with your nervous system.

Let's start by breathing together. In through your nose for a count of four, and out through your mouth like you're fogging up a mirror. Again. In through the nose for four, and out through the mouth. Notice how your body feels heavier with each exhale, like you're pouring tension into the ground beneath you. One more time. In for four, out and release.

Now here's where the magic happens. I want you to pick one sensation you can feel right now. Maybe it's your feet on the floor, or your hands on your lap, or the weight of your shoulders. Got it? That's your anchor. When anxiety whispers its little stories—and it will—you're going to come back to that one thing. Not to fight the anxiety, but to remind yourself that you're here, you're safe, and right now, this moment is manageable.

For the next few minutes, I want you to notice your anchor with real curiosity. What does it feel like? Is it warm or cool? Solid or gentle? Each time your mind wanders—which, by the way, is not failure, that's just what minds do—you simply notice it happening and come back. Come back to that anchor like it's home base. You're not pushing anxiety away; you're choosing something steadier.

Feel that? That grounding? That's your nervous system learning that it can trust this moment.

As we wrap up, here's your practice for today: Pick one moment in your day when you'll pause and find your anchor again. Maybe it's before you check your emails, or right after lunch. Just thirty seconds. That's enough.

Thank you so much for joining me on Anxiety Relief Daily: Mindfulness Techniques for Inner Calm. If this landed for you, I'd love for you to subscribe so we can keep this practice going together. You've got this, friend.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI