Inner Relationship Focusing & Anxiety, Overwhelming Emotions, and Stress
In one episode of the tv show, Ted Lasso, a good portion of the plot focused on Ted’s anxiety about whether or not his ex-wife’s new boyfriend was going to propose. Ted was overwhelmed with worry and spinning out in a world of what-if’s. His anxiety, self-doubt, and jealousy made it impossible to sleep, focus on work, or enjoy the special time he had to visit with his son. If only Ted had known about Inner Relationship Focusing…
We’ve all had an emotionally overwhelming experience at some point. Sometimes we get overwhelmed and anxious about what might happen. And we can also get overwhelmed by what is happening. But with Inner Relationship Focusing, there’s a way to tap into a calm, steady place when you feel like you’re caught in an emotional tornado.
You don’t have to be your feelings…you can be with your feelings instead. Rather than try to chase uncomfortable feelings away or just “keep calm and carry on”, it turns out approaching your feelings with compassion will actually get you to that place of calm.
If you’d like some help turning toward uncomfortable feelings with compassion, we have many resources on this page to help.
“Intense feelings are like somebody yelling for help. That’s why they’re intense… because they’re shouting for attention. And if they don’t get it, they may just shout louder! The gentle process of Focusing offers such a powerful way to give your feelings the attention they need.” – Ann Weiser Cornell
Courses to Help With Anxiety, Stress, and Other Overwhelming Feelings
Keep Calm & Carry On? Doesn’t Work, Does It?
It absolutely doesn’t work to try to stuff our feelings and impose calm. “Get over it.” “Think lovely thoughts.” All those positive thinking methods share the same problem: they ignore what is so.
Wouldn’t you like to be able to be calm and cool…no matter what’s going on? The secret is to get bigger.
Sign up for our free ecourse and get helpful ways to feel more empowered, calmer, and better able to handle whatever life brings you (in less than 10 minutes a day!).
Working Through Anxiety
90-Minute On-Demand Seminar
Learn how to use Focusing when your anger flares up or despair knocks you down. Shift from powerlessness to empowerment, and from inner suffering to inner strength.
$29.00
Learning Focusing
2-Part Downloadable Audio Course
Imagine yourself gently meeting everything happening inside with curiosity or calm wondering about what your experiences might be trying to show you. Focusing can help you stop the repetitive cycles and start to cultivate more calm in your life. It’s easier than you might think.
$18.95
Get It Out of My Head:
Obsessive Thoughts and How to Change Them
90-Minute On-Demand Seminar
Discover the surprising reason why trying to replace negative obsessive thoughts with something positive usually doesn’t work very well and practice what does work instead.
$29.00
SHIFT
Interactive Video-based Training + Online Community
In SHIFT, you step into Ann’s video classroom where she takes you through learning Focusing in simple steps. You learn how to pause and be compassionate to yourself in the moment, bring acceptance to stressful feelings and anxious thoughts, and become a calmer version of you. You’ll also release your blocks to moving forward with your life.
Available at your convenience as soon as you register, from anywhere you can connect to the internet.
$97.00 – $237.00
Self-in-Presence…and Parts
7-Module Interactive Video Course + Community
It’s easy to feel at the mercy of the tough things in life. There is a way to recover your inner resources and face life with “a full tank.” It’s called cultivating Self-in-Presence.
Self-in-Presence is simply the ability to be bigger than what life throws at you. And when you cultivate Self-in-Presence, you can handle stress, anxiety, and overwhelming emotions from a calm, strong center.
$197.00
Articles, Tips, and Videos
To Help With Anxiety, Stress, and Other Overwhelming Feelings
When Stress, Anxiety, or Other Overwhelming Feelings Arise: 4 Steps to Feel Calmer Inside
Developing the capacity to be with any thought, emotion, or sensation in your awareness is the path to living a calmer life.
Get started with this helpful post.
Enjoyable feelings can be an empowering resource when uncomfortable feelings show up.
But what do you do when you’ve got a strong positive feeling? Do you say hello to something in you feeling joy or love?
How to Return To Your Calm, Steady Center When Stressful Feelings Show Up
When triggered parts really take over, here’s a process to help you be with what you feel in a way that feels ok.
Focusing Tip #759 – “If I can overcome my sadness, then I can feel calm”
What can we do with our natural sadness about being distant from those we love? Read on…
Focusing Tip #790 – “So much stress, so many blocks, so much overwhelming feeling…”
How can you track your feelings when there are just too many of them, and all overwhelming? Read on…
Focusing Tip #813 – How do I stop doing my unhealthy habit?
If you wish you didn’t indulge so much, what can you do when it happens? Read on…
Focusing Tip #735 – “I hear people say you can choose how you feel, but…”
Is it true that you can choose how you feel? Read on…
Focusing Tip #777 – “I long to be able to sleep better.”
Are you tired in the morning because of anxious thoughts at night? Read on…
Focusing Tip #807 – “I wish I could let my feelings go and get on with life.”
What can you do with strong feelings that seem to be in your way? Read on…
Focusing Tip #579 – “How do I handle how overwhelmed and anxious and sad I feel at the terrible things that are happening?”
What can you do when it all just feels like too much? Read on…
Focusing Tip #587 – Do you wonder when and if the calmer feelings will translate into real life change?
Ann Weiser Cornell’s story about her shift away from anxious and self-doubting to relaxed and present in her interactions with others. Includes a video.
Focusing Tip #609 – “What do I do first with my anxious feeling?”
When you’re caught up in an overwhelming feelings, what should you do?