Here I am about to up roots again although this time I am moving with my 2 rescue dogs, which is definitely a first for me and probably my key source of anxiety. For instance, there are many articles about how some of the toughest life moments include redundancy, moving house and changing country, amongst others. I’m doing all 3! But at least we humans can put logic around it but what on earth will my 2 slightly nervous dogs think of it all?
Whilst they do have their moments of joining me on the yoga mat, I can’t really say to them “stay with your breathe, focus on one smell alone and feel your emotions”. I might get a lick on the nose but apart from that, I have to hope that they are as resilient as everyone tells me dogs to be.
What is Moving Anxiety?
Moving can be both exciting and overwhelming at the same time and we should honour both those emotions.
1- Strong emotions and Feeling out of control with a sense of loss
3- Financial stress – keeping up with all the sudden costs of removals, settling in, new schools / transport, etc
4- New environment – where to find the doctor / vet / local food shop?
5- Social network stress – friends might come and go, having to meet new people and not knowing who you can trust yet
It’s ok to worry
This is my first move where I’ve had yoga and mindfulness to keep me grounded and at peace with my internal self-chat of what could go wrong. That’s the idea anyway! It isn’t my first time moving countries or being made redundant but it is my first time moving to volunteer at an animal shelter without your ‘standard secure job’. Moving anxiety includes financial stress. As I was talking to my mindfulness teacher, he helped me understand that whilst I want to help animals it’s ok to still need the basics, including money and therefore worry. We do unfortunately operate in a money world.
Having lived in Asia for 8 years and moved on average every 2 to 4 years throughout my life, there was a definite sense of running away from something … partly family but also society and all its expectations. I wanted to find myself and my purpose and live for myself, no one else. Easier said than done, clearly. Also, I didn’t want to let people down. It’s taken me a while to get here but I think I might finally be on that path though … to help animals and people whilst also connecting with nature.
So, how do I keep my anxiety at bay?
- Gratitude exercise – find something every day that you can count on each of your ten fingers to be grateful for
- Daily walks to ‘feel’ nature – hear its whispers and breathe with them. Exercise is also a great stress release
- Sleep guided meditation – there are many apps and online links
- Music – there’s nothing quite like prancing around your house, singing at the top of the lungs to feel alive and free and in the moment
- Writing to describe how my body feels when I feel in the grips of anxiety and my head is about to explode – writing by hand helps slow everything down so that even your breathing starts slowing down
- Action plan – of course the moments of panic still overwhelm me but remembering a course of action and staying present and mindful help me reduce and manage the anxiety
These are just some small tips and cannot and should not replace seeking professional help, which is also key, but sometimes I still turn back to the simple things that I can wrap my head around. I find I need both.
