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I hope you all had a great weekend!  My husband and I had a fun time in Nashville, where we attended a friends’ wedding, but were oh-so-happy to get back to our boys yesterday afternoon!  I was especially happy to be back on the ground after our flight.  It was mostly smooth, but I find I’m becoming a bit of a nervous flyer as I get older.  Anyone else?

It got me thinking about ways people cope with their anxieties.  For me, it’s helpful to remind myself of things that are true, instead of focusing on my feelings.  I often remind my clients that our feelings are not facts.  Just because we feel something at 2 am or 20,000 ft. in the air, doesn’t mean it’s true.  For example, in the middle of the night, you may be absolutely convinced that someone you care about is angry with you.  It makes sense in the moment, as you recall their facial expression after you said that one thing you wish you wouldn’t have said (more on that here).  They never said they were mad, and they’ve been acting normal since then, but still…they must be really upset.  Likewise, your flight can be the slightest bit bumpy (much less so than your drive to the airport…dang potholes!) yet you can convince yourself the plane is out of control and unsafe.  Tell me I’m not alone here!

Somehow, when the sun rises or the plane lands, we realize how irrational those feelings were and our heartbeat returns to its normal rhythm.  Wouldn’t it be great to keep a more level approach when such stressful situations arise?  Today I’m sharing some helpful quotes that you can repeat to yourself, hang in our home or office, and remind yourself of when you start to believe those untrustworthy feelings instead of the facts.  Find what speaks to you – if it’s not here, do some quick Google or Pintrest searches to find your own inspiration.  Remember, the more we remind ourselves of what’s true, the less room our minds will have to wander to what’s not.