This post is a part of the With Love series.

Whenever I feel scared, I look at myself in the mirror and say, “I love myself. I am safe and everything is going to be alright!” I am safe!

Feeling scared is nothing more than an emotion we feel – one we can control and overwrite. Most of the times, the things we are afraid of don’t happen. And so we spend hours worrying about something that is in actual fact just an emotion. Once we realize that we can control it, wonderful things can happen.

• I know how it feels to be safe
• I know how to be safe
• I know it is possible for me to feel safe

Miracles start to happen when you give as much energy to your dreams as you do to your fears…

– Richard Wilkins

Allow Your Breathing to Calm You

When we are born, we instantly know how to breathe. We breath calmly and with easy. But as we grow up, things start to change. We become stressed. We get angry and swallow it within us. All these things teach our body to learn uneasy breathing patterns. Our breathing responds to our emotions and feelings.

The way in which we breathe is a tool that can calm us down and make us healthier. And the best part is, it can be controlled. Two or three deep breaths can be more than enough to calm you down. The breathing effect can be wonderful – you just have to practice it!

So here’s how you can practice it. Find a comfortable position and make sure your spine is straight. Then close your eyes. Notice your breathing, how your breath flows in and out through your nose. Notice how your chest moves as you breathe in your own pace. Find a rhythm that is comfortable for you.

Continue to inhale slowly and evenly, quietly and pleasantly. Imagine you have a balloon inside your body. Every time you breathe in, it expands, and every time you breathe out, it quietly returns to its initial state. Breathe at your own pace. Each time you exhale, feel your body relaxes even more and how any negative thoughts float away.

Your whole body is now completely relaxed and at ease. Notice how the air flows in and out of your nose. When you inhale, imagine that you breathe in peace and quietness. When you exhale, imagine that you exhale worries, tensions, and frustrations. Each time you exhale, it automatically means that you relax more. Drop the tanks filled with worry that hold you down and let them float away – just let them float away.

Checklist for today

• Think of something that creates fear within you.
• Now, try to see that fear for what it really is. See it as just an emotion – something that you feel might happen, but certainly will not happen.
• Now that you have isolated the root of your fear, start talking to it. Challenge it, and tell it that you are stronger, and that you will overcome it.
• Repeat this process for every fear that you have.
• Practice breathing exercises (as outlined above) at least once a day, or whenever you feel afraid or scared.