Coping with Overwhelm

The world of fertility can be a lot to process. Learn how to ground yourself when it feels like too much.

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Hello, it's Eve here. I'm sorry if you're feeling overwhelmed. There can be a lot to process and hold, especially if you've been on this journey for a while. I wanted to share a grounding exercise with you that I've found really helpful, and I love this quote that I heard from one of our coaches, Sean. "Be where your feet are." So let's connect with the body, feeling the feet on the floor, the body pressing down, that sense of being supported. And if it feels comfortable, closing your eyes or relaxing your gaze downwards. I'm inviting you to take a couple of deeper breaths. In through the nose, and then out through the mouth. So we're going to stay focused on physical sensations, and you can choose. It can be your body pressing down into the seat, or it can be your feet on the floor. That's going to be your anchor, so that sensation is ever present, doesn't change. And if your mind feels very busy or you're experiencing strong emotions, it's okay. The moment you notice you're getting caught up in them, gently come back to that physical sensation, that feeling of being grounded, feeling the feet on the ground or the body supported by the chair. So focusing your attention on this moment, on those physical sensations. And when you get distracted by say, another sensation in the body, rather than pushing it away, just gently note it. That's a feeling. And then come back to the sensation of the feet on the floor or the body pressing down. And in the same way, if you get distracted by thinking, gently notice it and let it go and come back to that anchor. So we don't push anything away, we're allowing thoughts and feelings to arise. But the moment we realize we're getting caught up in them, we note it and come back to that feeling of being grounded and present, connected to the physical body. Take a moment longer, feeling everything slow down, paying attention to the space around you, gently opening your eyes when you're ready. I hope this was helpful. Please come back to it any time you need a moment to pause and reset....

Details

TypeMeditation

Duration4 min

About your teachers

A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.
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Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.
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As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.
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Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.
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Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.
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