Using grief to break anxiety

May 13, 2023, Saturday morning, 11:41am, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. I learned an interesting stress relief technique yesterday. When I feel overwhelmed I can recall something the causes me grief. Like remembering Arizona, my dad, my brother, Utah, the WIL, my first dog, etc. Losses that still have a strong spiritual half-life in my soul. If I do it right and let the feelings flow through me I instantly tear up, sob, and frown. The moment lasts only a second or two but, it is enough to break the grip of anxiety that manifests constantly in my throat. The trick is to not “think” about the person, place or thing I am grieving. If I start consciously thinking it doesn’t help. In fact, it causes more consternation. Rather, I need to allow the base surface emotional moment to hit, cause the grief reaction, then wash away the ugly tension inside me. I have only used this technique for a little while, time will tell if it truly works. Hopefully, it is a solution with staying power, I am getting tired of feeling overwhelmed.