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Hey friends, it's Rosie here, and welcome to Radio Headspace.
So today I want to talk about something that might sound a little strange at first.
What if we could befriend our anxiety?
Not fix it, not silence it, not pretend it doesn't exist, but actually make room for it.
Like you would for an old friend who talks a little too much but usually has a point.
Because sometimes anxiety isn't trying to sabotage you.
It's trying to signal something you haven't fully heard.
A few years ago, I went on a silent meditation retreat.
I'd been feeling overwhelmed in my day-to-day life.
You know, spinning plates, constantly in motion.
And I thought a few days of quiet would be just when I needed to reset.
No phone, no work, just stillness.
But here's the thing about stillness.
It doesn't always feel peaceful at first.
So there I was, sitting in silence, not thinking about anything in particular, just breathing.
And boom, there it was.
Tight chest, racing thoughts, that familiar urge to do something.
And I was frustrated.
Like, why now?
I'm literally meditating.
I'm trying to be so zen.
After one of the lectures, I walked up to the teacher during the break and told him what had happened.
I was like, isn't this supposed to be helping me?
Why do I feel worse right now?
And he looked at me and said something I've never forgotten.
He said, what if your anxiety is isn't trying to stop you, but trying to join you.
I nodded like, wow, yes, so deep.
But inside I was like, sir, with all due respect, absolutely not.
Why would I ever want to be joined by anxiety?
I'm here because we are not friends.
She has not been helpful.
She has not served me.
But later that night, the more it made sense.
Because anxiety isn't some external force.
She is, after all, a part of me.
And maybe, instead of pushing it away, I could start to listen.
For so much of my life, I treated anxiety like the enemy.
Something to fight, resist, wrestle to the ground.
But what I've come to understand, especially through the years of mindfulness practice, is that anxiety doesn't need to be defeated.
It needs to be understood.
It needs boundaries, yes.
But it also needs compassion.
Now, when I feel that familiar, stirring the tightness in my chest, the buzz in my thoughts, I try to meet it like I would a scared child.
Not with panic, but with gentleness.
I'll ask myself, okay, you're here.
What do you need me to know?
And sometimes the answer is simple.
I'm overwhelmed.
I'm tired.
I just need you to slow down.
Anxiety isn't something we get over.
It's something we learn to navigate.
And when we treat it with curiosity instead of criticism, we stop being at war with ourselves and start building trust.
If you've been trying to outrun or out-muscle your anxiety, try this today.
Take a quiet moment to check in.
Say to yourself, it's okay that you're here.
Ask, what are you trying to protect me from?
Then listen without trying to fix.
It might sound simple, but sometimes the greatest act of self-care is just letting yourself feel without judgment.
Anxiety is part of the human experience, but it doesn't have to define your experience.
It's not about erasing the feeling.
It's about loosening its grip.
The more gently you meet it, the more space you create for clarity, compassion and real connection with yourself and with others.
And if you're looking for some extra support, you can check out the grounding exercise to ease anxiety meditation in the app.
That's it for today, friends.
If this episode helped you in any way or if you want to share your own stories, I'd love to hear them.
You can find me on Instagram at Rosie Acosta.
I'll see you back here soon.
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