This Will Pass...

Hello again,

'Anxiety' is a theme that's coming up quite frequently in my work with clients at the moment. I was thinking about this earlier, and a previous client suddenly sprung to mind.

He was really struggling with anxiety issues, and we spent a lot of time exploring this, working through it, looking at coping strategies, and so on. Acceptance of the anxiety seemed to be a real turning point. Rather than constantly battling against it, or trying to control it, just being able to accept and admit 'I feel anxious' seemed to lift a lot of pressure and bring about a sense of relief.

Another thing that really helped this particular client when he felt anxious was to repeat a phrase he had heard:

'This will pass'

I was grateful to him for sharing this with me in the very next session after he had first heard it on the radio and, as soon as that session ended, I wrote it on a card and pinned it to my notice board.

'This will pass'

If you're concerned that I'm breaching client confidentiality in sharing this, please don't be alarmed. This particular client was so grateful for his positive experience of counselling that, when his counselling came to an end, he desperately wanted to help other people who struggle with anxiety in some way. He wrote an open letter for me to share, at my discretion, with other clients who were struggling as he had, so I know he'd be pleased for me to share this story for the benefit of others.

'This will pass'

I wondered where this phrase came from originally, so I did a little bit of research into it this morning. This is what I discovered:

This too shall pass (Hebrew: גם זה יעבור‎, gam zeh ya'avor) is a saying commonly used to offer condolences or sympathy to someone in pain or suffering... "King Solomon once searched for a cure against depression. He assembled his wise men together. They meditated for a long time and gave him the following advice: Make yourself a ring and have thereon engraved the words 'This too will pass.' The King carried out the advice. He had the ring made and wore it constantly. Every time he felt sad and depressed, he looked at the ring, whereon his mood would change and he would feel cheerful" -(Israel Folklore Archive)

I really like that idea! Also, a ring is a circle, and there's something really soothing about circles, I feel. The smooth edges, and feeling of continuity; seamless and neverending. Wikipedia notes that 'The circle has been known since before the beginning of recorded history. Natural circles would have been observed, such as the Moon, Sun, and a short plant stalk blowing in the wind on sand, which forms a circle shape in the sand.'

And so the circle of life continues... The process of self awareness is almost like a circle too. The starting point is you; you go off on the voyage of self discovery, but you always end up coming back to yourself; back to where the journey began... but with more awareness than you had when you began the journey ...

Which reminds me of another theme that is emerging in my work at the moment: existentialism. But I'll maybe save that theme for another blog!

Anyway, I hope this has been helpful in some way. Next time you're feeling anxious, upset, or afraid, try repeating the phrase a few times and see if it helps...

'This will pass'