WORK WORRY WITTLER

FEAR-BUSTING FIX Did you know?

Are you a slave to technology and find it hard to stop checking emails, even though it’s the weekend? Shed those work worries with this grounding ritual. You’ll need hematite, a crystal that helps to ground you and ease anxiety from outside influences. Stand tall and hold a piece in both hands. Bend your knees and feel the weight travel through your thighs into your calves and feet. Feel the soles of your feet connect with the earth. Imagine any worries about work pouring into the ground. Pay attention to your body. You should feel lighter and more balanced.

Fear is at the heart of most worries, and even if it’s unfounded, it can still cause anguish. Be honest about your fears and banish them for good with this magical technique.

Rue is a powerful herb associated with protection. It can help you feel more secure in every way. Take some dried rue (available from online health stores) and sprinkle over hot charcoals, or burn in a fireproof dish. On a piece of paper, write down what is causing you anxiety. For example: ‘I’m afraid of losing my job/ getting ill/being on my own’. Pass the paper through the smoke of the burning rue and say: ‘I banish this fear from my mind.

I am strong and secure from this moment in time.’

When the rue is ashes, discard with the paper in the bin and repeat the chant.

Research indicates that worrying shrinks the brain. In a study, images of the brain were taken from a range of participants. Those who suffered periods of worry had smaller brain mass! Scientific studies have also shown that around 85% of what we worry about never happens, and for the 15% that did experience their fears, most claimed they handled it better than they’d imagined.