In the midst of a global pandemic, it is fair to say we are living in very uncertain times. By now most of us know someone who has been infected or affected by Covid19 and if we’re looking at the global situation from almost any perspective it’s easy to feel pretty bleak about life at the moment. Well, hold on to your rose coloured glasses because I’m here to tell you that everything is going to be okay, kiddo.
There are so many factors that can trigger a panic attack and sitting deep within your thoughts worrying about “What could be?” and “What if?” is not going to help anyone. In fact, fearing the future is actually futile because often what we are worrying about is actually out of our control. So if worrying about the future and regretting the past leads to anxiety, surely remaining present and living in the now is the only true solution? *Ting, ting, ting* You are correct! You win a lifetime supply of true happiness and fulfillment. Well done.
OK so now we know the secret to living a happy life, fully on purpose but how in the heaven are we supposed to remain present? I can barely focus on typing th… What am I going to eat for lunch? I musn’t forget to get back to Sarah today. Mmm this energy bar is actually delicious. Ah that’s a cute puppy. I need to get a puppy!
Impossible to remain present or is it? There are actually several techniques we can use to remain in the present moment and kapow – kick fear in the face. As a comedian I harness the power of improv comedy – that is comedy that is entirely made up on the spot – to combat fear. And the truth is anyone can learn to channel these superpowers comedian or not. Here are a few ways you can overcome fear.
1. Deep Breathing
This may seem obvious but focusing on the breath is a great way to centre ourselves, keep ourselves grounded and present. We use intercostal diaphragmatic breathing, which is a fancy way of saying we take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Remain conscious of your inhilation and exhalations.
2. Get into creative flow
When we are in creative flow we are so focused on the activity at hand that we are not worrying or focusing on anything else. Therefore we are mindful only on the task at hand. In improv comedy for example because we are so focused on the current scene, on what is happening in the moment we literally cannot worry about what is yet to come. This is why improv comedy is considered mindfulness through play.
3. Take an improv comedy class
Learning new skills affects our well-being in many positive ways. When learning is fun, we are far more likely to retain information. Improv comedy gives us access to our creative genius. When we operate from this genius, we get to fully express
ourselves. This allows us to live in our full power and feel totally liberated. And you cannot feel liberated and anxious at the same time! It’s just not possible!
So remember remaining present is key. When we are present, we are open and we trust in the fact that everything is truly going to be okay.
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