Dropping Anchor Exercise
Ever wondered what’s a useful mindful exercise to do when feeling very stressed, anxious, panicked or overwhelmed? When you feel like you’re in an emotional storm?
One exercise that many find helpful is called ‘Dropping Anchor’. There are many versions of this exercise - I’m sharing one based on the work of Dr. Russ Harris.
When a boat is being tossed in a storm, it can steady itself by dropping its anchor.
When you’re overwhelmed by an emotional storm, learning how to drop anchor is important for you, too.
This exercise is made of three parts and can be practiced for less than a minute or much longer. As long as you need.
I’ve created a longer, 20-minute version for you to try out and share with friends/family below.
This is a brand new meditation from one of our Daily Mindfulness Club sessions that I offered this week.
This is an exercise often used in Acceptance and Commitment Training because it:
Helps you to be present
Helps you to be open to your inner experiences
Helps you to engage in the world and then take whatever helpful action you need to take next.
These are the three core flexibility skills of ACT.
Want to learn more?