Stop - Breathe - Beauty

Stop - Breathe - Beauty! This is my mantra when I feel overwhelmed or find myself spiraling down a rabbit hole of anxious thoughts. In those moments of heightened stress, I literally tell myself in my head to STOP! It’s as if I am pulling the emergency brake on a speeding train of anxiety, halting its relentless forward momentum. The urgency of this command is paramount, as I recognize the importance of interrupting the cycle of worry that can so easily consume my mind. Following this decisive pause, I BREATHE. I take a few deep, deliberate breaths, inhaling deeply through my nose and exhaling slowly through my mouth. This simple act of breathing serves to ground me, providing a moment of clarity amidst the chaos of my thoughts. Once I feel a slight calmness begin to wash over me, I shift my focus to my surroundings in search of BEAUTY. When I refer to beauty, I mean anything that elicits a feeling of positivity or joy in my heart. It could be the gentle rustling of leaves in the trees as they dance in the breeze, a brilliantly colored flower blooming defiantly in a patch of grass, or the striking visage of an older woman who carries her stories in the lines of her face. It might even be a cute dog bounding joyfully down the street or a resilient weed pushing its way through a crack in the sidewalk. Each of these elements of beauty serves as a reminder of the world’s inherent goodness and the simple pleasures that exist around us. This practice of identifying beauty is transformative. It effectively halts the incessant hamster wheel of negative thoughts, anchoring me firmly in the present moment. I allow myself to observe and appreciate these beautiful distractions, waiting patiently for the wave of anxiety and overwhelming emotion to pass, much like a wave recedes from the shore. This process is not rushed; I give myself permission to simply exist in that space until the intensity of my feelings diminishes. Once I feel the storm of anxiety begin to settle, I take a moment to reflect on my thought process. I ask myself if the thoughts that were consuming me are productive or beneficial in any way. This self-inquiry is brief—just a split second—because I am acutely aware that lingering too long on these thoughts could lead me back down the rabbit hole I am trying to escape. More often than not, I find that these spiraling thoughts are not constructive at all. Recognizing this helps me to release them, allowing me to redirect my focus to something tangible and immediate right in front of me. In those moments when emotions run high and cognitive thinking feels impossible, I have discovered that engaging in a simple task can be incredibly helpful. Whether it’s organizing a small area of my workspace, watering a plant, or even doodling on a piece of paper, these activities serve to ground me further in reality. They pull me back to the here and now, providing a sense of accomplishment and clarity that is often elusive in times of emotional turmoil. By embracing this practice of stopping, breathing, and seeking out beauty, I empower myself to navigate through anxiety with greater resilience and grace.