Anxiety

Writing Prompt: Invite Your Emotions to Tea

The Guest House by Rumi

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all! . . .

. . . Right now, I invite you to welcome whatever emotion you are feeling at the moment into your “home” as a guest, whether it be anxiety, fear, grief, sadness, anger, frustration, or helplessness (the list goes on).

"This is a Good Time to Stop Fighting Anxiety" by Laura Turner, The New York Times

In normal times, I have anxiety; I’m an expert on worrying about the future, ruminating about the “what ifs?’ and worst-case scenarios. The “Coronavirus Symptoms Checklist” is on my desk. While I’ve never been obsessive about germs or washing hands, now I question everything I touch — handling mail, swiping my credit card, or going shopping becomes fraught with danger. (Please don’t get me started on the gentleman who was coughing behind me at the grocery store a few days ago.) I won’t list who I’m worried about because honestly, it’s every single person on the planet.