Lemon Dojo · Practice Sheet
Anxiety
The Electric Flicker
A pocket guide for meeting anxiety as a signal, not a sentence - staying with it without being swept away.
01 · Ready reckoner
The wiser way to meet anxiety
Four moves, in order. The whole practice on a single glance - return to it when the flicker starts.
Notice without gripping
Name it gently - “Anxiety is here,” not “I am anxious.” You are the space it appears in.
“Anxiety is here.”Find it in the body
Where does it live - chest, stomach, jaw? Rest your attention there without trying to change it.
Thank the signal
Ask what it’s protecting. Underneath is usually something you value - safety, competence, connection.
“What are you protecting?”Choose your next move
Respond rather than react. Carry the anxiety toward what matters like a companion, not a commander.
02 · Regulate first
In the moment
When intensity spikes, the thinking brain goes offline. Reset the body first - then the four steps above become possible.
When the flicker spikes
Coherent Breathing
Breathe in for five seconds, out for five seconds. No holds, no effort. Just the rhythm, for a minute or two.
Then name five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch, two you can smell, one you can taste. Anxiety pulls you into the future. Your senses bring you back to the room you are actually in.
03 · Go deeper
Try this
A practice for when you have a few minutes to yourself.
Awareness of thoughts
Rest your attention lightly and watch anxious thoughts arise and pass, the way you would watch clouds. You do not have to follow any of them. Done regularly, this builds a steadiness that anxiety cannot easily pull you out of.
04 · Reflect
Journal it
Three questions. Write into them by hand on the printed sheet, or type below - your words save on this device.
What is the anxiety pointing at - what do I care about here?
Where does it live in my body, and what is it like when I stop fighting it?
What is one small move toward what matters that I can make today?