PERIPHERAL VISION (STOP THE WORLD)

In helping people to overcome anxiety, I’ve noticed some commonalities. Whether it’s what doctors call a specific or a generalized anxiety, internal dialogue is either the trigger or what keeps the pattern going.

Try this simple way of shifting out of your mind.

Start by picking a spot or focal point to stare at. Slowly begin to expand your peripheral vision to include all the space around the spot. Expand it even more, allowing your visual field to open so that you can imagine almost becoming aware of the space behind you.

This might feel strange at first but after practicing three or four times you will notice a general calm come over your mind and body as you realize your internal dialogue has stopped.

This is what Carlos Castaneda called “stopping the world.” I teach it to my clients who have anxiety because it allows them to move awareness from the inside, out. The great thing about peripheral vision is that it can be done anywhere, anytime and with practice, becomes another way of being in the world.


Tiers, Melissa (2012-01-29). The Anti-Anxiety Toolkit (pp. 18-19).  . Kindle Edition.


The Center of Connected Living-Fl
Dr Corinne Scholtz, LMFT
2425 E Commercial Blvd, Ste 400, Ft Lauderdale, Fl 33308