Back in February, before the pandemic and election stress, NPR's podcast Life Kit highlighted an author and mindfulness teacher, Tara Brach. Her new book, "Radical Compassion" is a practical guide to dealing with anxiety and chronic worry using mindfulness in a four-step acronym: R.A.I.N.
When you find yourself in a particular "stuck" moment, or caught in a loop of anxious thought, try the R.A.I.N. approach:
1. Recognize: The first step is to become aware that you are stuck in your anxiety and name it for what it is. This can be the hardest step because it requires us to purposefully shift from reacting to responding. Once you realize that you are overwhelmed by a feeling, name the emotion that most stands out to you: "fear", "anger", "hurt", or maybe "confused."
2. Allow: Next, give yourself power with a pause. Let the emotion be there; tell yourself it is OK to be like that for a few moments. The emotion is different now because you have now given it a name. Now, you can do something about it.
3. Investigate: Ask yourself, "what really needs my attention right now?" Check in with your physical body, notice the places where you feel tension or discomfort and address your physiological needs first. Then attend to your emotional needs. Ask, "what am I believing right now?" and then, "what do I need to get through this?" 
4. Nurture: And finally, no matter what you're feeling, be kind to yourself. Emotions are a large part of being a human, so give them space to happen and be mindful about how you respond. After you have gone through these steps, notice the difference in your body and mind, and in your quality of being present, from where you started.
Many of you do this with your students everyday. So I invite you to try this approach on yourself.
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