Calming the Rush of Panic Read Online Free PDF

suggestions below. The more you do them, the more they’ll become integrated into your life. Accomplish at least one task each day mindfully. In other words, while you’re doing something, just be doing that one thing, fully present and attentive to what you’re doing. There’s no need to be a perfectionist here—it won’t be possible to be mindful of all of these activities all the time—but slowly you can do more activities mindfully. Remember, the moment you realize you aren’t present, you are. It’s that close and yet that far. Let there be a spirit of levity, kindness, and self-compassion with this practice of mindfulness—this is why it’s called a practice. Don’t feel as if you have to “get it right” every time.
     
When you wake up, take a mindful breath and then notice and acknowledge how you’re feeling in your body and mind.
While getting dressed, be mindful of the clothes you’re selecting for the day. Notice how they feel when you put them on.
While brushing your teeth, just be brushing your teeth.
While preparing and eating breakfast, be mindful of the preparation and how the food tastes.
While washing the dishes, just be washing the dishes.
While folding the laundry, be mindful of the folding and how it’s feeling.
While walking, just be walking. Notice each step.
While driving to work, drive the speed limit, turn off the radio, and be aware of driving your car. Notice the way your body feels while driving,
At work, be mindful of your work duties and your interactions with others.
At least once a week, eat a meal in silence, without distractions— radio, TV, newspaper, and so on—using the time to just experience eating.
Choose a commonplace sight, sound, or occurrence—such as a red light, waiting in line, the phone ringing, or the sound of office machines warming up—as a cue for you to re-center and come back to yourself for a few mindful breaths (see “Foundational Practice: Mindful Breathing” in chapter 1).
Be mindful of errands and interactions you have with others while you’re out.
Be mindful while you’re on the phone, using e-mail, or text messaging.
Be mindful of how you communicate with your family, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers.
Be mindful of your evening activities, such as eating, reading, watching TV, and interacting with your family.
As you head to bed, be mindful of your various bedtime activities: brushing your teeth, changing your clothes, and climbing into bed and lying down.
Before you go to sleep, check in with how you’re feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally, and let it all be. Take a few mindful breaths and let yourself open to deeper compassion and ease of your body and mind, and go into a deep, restful sleep.
    These are just a few ways you can informally practice mindfulness. Feel free to bring more and more mindfulness into whatever you do. Remember: wherever you go, here you are. A practice of bringing your awareness into the here and now will help you stay centered and reduce moments of panic.

chapter 1
    Calming the Rush of Panic in Your Body
    Y our body, emotions, and thoughts all play a role in panic. Learning how to work with them can help you stay centered and calm. In this chapter we look at ways that you can reduce the panic in your body. We will introduce you to two mindfulness meditations that focus on the body. The first is mindful breathing, and the second is the body scan. For each meditation, we provide a script you can follow, as well as a URL so you can download an audio track to guide you. Then we discuss the mindful practice called S.T.O.P. Finally we offer some practical applications of mindfulness for you to try, to help you feel more confident and comfortable in your own skin.
    So that you feel safe, before you begin we’d like to offer some gentle suggestions regarding all of the meditations and other practices in this book: Please tread lightly. The meditations, informal practices, and applied practices are