Unwanted: Sunday Scaries and Off-brand Techno Music
There I was… sitting at brunch overlooking the alluring, crystal-clear blue rapids of the Arkansas River. The Colorado air was crisp and fresh, filling my lungs with life.
My eyes, squinting from the bright sun, were ever-so focused on the two kayakers in the river before me donning their bright-colored drysuits. I noticed my body shuddering at the mere thought of being immersed in the cold, Colorado water that had only just begun thawing with the transition from winter to spring.
The sunshine illuminated the foothills before us, revealing each and every crag that we would soon be setting out to hike upon following our meal together… not yet, though. Now, I relaxed to the sound of the water rushing over each and every stone in the river, drowning out the restaurant’s severely off-brand techno music (should I have talked to the manager about it, Y or N?).
My partner, our baby girl, our friends, and I sat at the patio table— each of us delightfully consuming our own version of “the perfect egg” and their accompaniments— his over easy, mine over hard, theirs scrambled— while drinking delicious craft coffee and engaging in deep conversation— an unbeatable combination, in my opinion.
We were nearing the end of our weekend getaway to Buena Vista, Colorado. This getaway was desperately needed, as we hadn’t stayed overnight anywhere since August 2020 due to COVID-19 and having a newborn baby! I’ll say it again: this getaway was desperately needed.
As we finished up our last meal together before heading back to Denver, I thought about returning to “real life”. Meetings, meal planning, dishes, cleaning, unpacking, paying bills, dentist appointments… the list goes on.
And just like that, my mind catapulted into the future in order for anxiety to have its way— it’s so good at that, isn’t it? A wave of annoyance and frustration overtook me, completely ransacking my relaxing brunch.
I wish I could say that I immediately turned to mindfulness, attending to my breath and focusing on the here and now, but that would be a lie. Yes, even therapists mess up. (Note: this is very important for you to know.)
A grounding exercise likely would have been the perfect antidote for my Sunday Scaries at that moment.
This month we have been focusing on mindfulness at True Core Health.
What is mindfulness, you ask? It can be explained as “awareness of the present experience with acceptance.” Check out our previous blog posts on mindfulness here and here.
Grounding is similar to mindfulness in that it involves focusing on the present moment. Rather than adopting a curious and non-judgmental attitude, grounding’s purpose is more so to guide your attention away from distressing thoughts… and it likely would have been beneficial for me to have exercised when I noticed my “Sunday Scaries” creeping in.
Not only can grounding be used to ward off the Sunday Scaries— it can also assist those experiencing dissociation, panic attacks, general anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among others.
Ready to try?
One grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 method. Working backwards from 5, use your senses to list things you notice in your surroundings. For example, you could start by listing 5 things you see, 4 things you can smell, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can hear, and 1 thing you can taste.
In seconds, your attention is shifted away from your feelings of overwhelm and centered upon your present moment.
Sunday and Monday will always come with their ever-growing to-do lists and complexities, so why not enjoy each moment for what it is rather than focusing on the anxieties that try to steal our composure?