Creating Spaces of Acceptance with Anxiety

Anxiety urges us to speed up — to fix, to flee, to avoid. But healing often begins when we pause. Slowing down gives us the chance to notice, feel, and create space for the present moment. Acceptance doesn’t mean liking how we feel — it means making room for it, so we’re not ruled by it.

This exercise will guide you in gently turning toward your anxious experience with mindfulness and curiosity, rather than resistance.

Mindful Acceptance Practice

1. Notice where anxiety lives in your body.
When you begin to feel anxious, take a moment to tune into your body. Ask yourself:

“Where do I feel this most strongly?”
You might notice tension in your chest, a pit in your stomach, buzzing in your hands. Gently describe the sensation using sensory language — is it…

• hot or cold?

• tight, heavy, light, or numb?

• still, pulsing, vibrating, prickly?

There’s no right answer — just your unique experience.

2. Observe without judgment.
Instead of trying to change the sensation, just sit with it. Observe it as you would a cloud passing by. You might say to yourself:

“This is how anxiety feels in my body right now.”
Let go of the urge to label it as “bad” or something to eliminate. It’s just a sensation — one part of your human experience.

3. Name the thoughts and emotions that show up.
Notice any accompanying thoughts or emotional tones. You might find:

• “I’m not good enough”

• “Something bad is going to happen”

• guilt, embarrassment, shame, sadness

You can mentally label them — “worry,” “self-criticism,” “fear.” Naming helps create a little space between you and the storm.

4. Breathe and expand.
Begin to take 10–15 slow, deep breaths. As you breathe, imagine the sensation you noticed spreading gently throughout your body.

You’re not pushing it away — you’re giving it room.
Let it move. Let it shift. Let it be. With each breath, notice if the quality of the sensation changes. Perhaps it softens, moves, or fades — or perhaps it doesn’t. That’s okay, too.

Optional Reflection Prompt

After the exercise, journal or reflect:

• What did I notice in my body?

• What surprised me about this experience?

• What would it mean to allow this feeling instead of resisting it?