Dropping Anchor

Imagine you are a boat, being tossed around at sea. The weather is rough, representing all
the external storms or crises around you that you have no control over, along with the inner
emotional storm you may be experiencing in the form of difficult thoughts, feelings, and
sensations.
Rather than be tossed around in every direction by these rough seas, you drop anchor - to
steady your boat, and to steady yourself.
Dropping your anchor will ground you until the storm passes; it will not stop the storm, but
it will steady you while the storm passes.
A – Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings. Taking a non-judgemental and curious stance
to observe what’s going on in your inner world. Taking a step away from framing thoughts
and feelings as facts (e.g., ‘I’m a bad friend’) to ‘I’m noticing I’m having the thought that I’m
a bad friend’, creating space between yourself and difficult thoughts/emotions.
C – Coming back into your body. You aren’t trying to avoid or escape what’s happening in
your inner world. Re-connecting with your physical body. Remembering that being a human
being means having a brain that gets troubled and busy at times.
E – Engaging in what you’re doing. Get a sense of where you are and refocus your attention
on the activity you are doing.

Observe and Non-Judgementally mindfulness skills

(Mindfulness bell)
Begin by taking a few moments to notice your breath. Throughout this exercise, remember
that it’s normal for your attention to wander, and when you notice this happening, gently
turn your attention back to the exercise. You may also notice yourself making judgements.
This is a common and automatic response, so if it happens, simply notice that a judgement
has been made and gently bring your attention back to whatever it is that you are observing.
First, just see if you can push your feet hard into the floor. Push them down. Feel the ground
beneath you.
Now sit forward in your chair and straighten your back. Feel the chair beneath you; notice
your back supporting you.
Now slowly press your fingertips together and, as you do that, gently move your elbows and
your shoulders. Feel your arms moving, all the way from your fingers to your shoulder
blades.
Take a moment to acknowledge there is an emotion or thought here that you might be
struggling with... You didn’t ask for it... But here it is... And it might be challenging and
difficult and you want it to go away, and yet it’s not going... Silently acknowledge to yourself
what type of thought or emotion it is, for example – say to yourself ‘Here’s sadness’ or
‘Here’s anxiety’ or ‘Here’s a painful memory.
Now, notice as well as this thought or emotion that you’ve identified, there’s also a body
around that emotion or thought – a body that you can move and control. Straighten your
back again and notice your whole body now – your hands, feet, arms, legs – gently move
them, and feel them moving... Have a good stretch... Notice your muscles stretching... Press
your feet down and feel the floor.
Now also look around the room, up and down and side to side, and notice five things that
you can see. Now notice three things that you can hear – sounds coming from the me or
you, or the room around you.
And now notice you and I, working here together as a team.
(Mindfulness bell)

- How mindful were you able to be during that?

- Are you less caught up/hooked by difficult thoughts or feelings?
- Is it easier for you to be present?