Don’t face your fear.

Uncertainty haunts us in this moment, and it’s exhausting for the brain’s processing systems. “How long can I manage working and homeschooling?” “Can my business recover from this?” “What if my parents get sick?” “What if I can’t pay my rent?” What if? . . .

I felt a little more control (and a little more self-respect) this week when I answered the question, “Are you really going to put yoga pants on, for the 19th straight day?” The answer was “No.” This small act of defiance rewarded me with a reminder, in the form of a zipper and a nonelastic waistband, that even a small decision can be a solid anchor.

When a crisis as big as a global pandemic hits, overwhelm can slam into our psyches with a force like 80 mph winds at the top of Rendezvous Bowl. The fear is so strong that we could literally become untethered from the ground beneath our feet.

I am not inviting you to “face your fear.” Rather, I am inviting you to accept that you are feeling fear. Start by putting your attention on the physiological sensations happening in your body. Notice where you feel them. Notice what they feel like. Maybe they feel like a pit in your stomach, a fluttering around your heart, a clenched jaw or a tightness in your shoulders.

When you place attention on fear’s physical sensation in your body, you interrupt the mental script that accompanies the fear. (For me, it’s “I don’t want to feel this.”) With that simple mental maneuver, you reduce stress and anxiety by quieting the “what if . . .” narrative that Mark Twain described best: “Some of the worst things in my life never even happened.”

That is mindfulness.

This week’s pocket practice

Investigate the physical sensation of fear. Actively notice where in your body you feel the fear. Put your attention on that place for ten deep breaths — 90 seconds.

If you’re like every other human, you will find that the physiological sensation of fear lasts about 90 seconds, the time it takes for ten deep breaths. You will survive those 90 seconds. And you will emerge with a slightly calmer toolkit for solving the problems in front of you.

Notice.

Locate.

Accept.

Breathe (3 - 10 cycles).

Move on.

This week’s guided meditation

Laura Callari -- school nurse, mindfulness junkie, mom, wife, and outdoor devotee -- builds on this wisdom with a “boxed breathing” practice, followed by a few minutes of guided focus on the breath. Boxed breathing fosters a mental structure that calms fear and uncertainty.

These practices work. But just like sit-ups, they only work if you do them. Join us. We hope it helps.

With care,

Sara and the Becoming Jackson Whole Team