Blue Planet’s great! But can the sea help my anxiety? November 20, 2017 News Remember the summer when you swam in the sea? Then perhaps you’ll remember the warm currents we sometimes find, enveloping our legs beneath the surface. It’s a sweet discovery and brings warmth to our chill bodies. The warmth is an elusive friend, however, for it’s lost in the swirling depths as quickly as it is found. So we move our bodies to find it again, adjusting ourselves beneath the surface, stretching out a leg to enjoy the warm place again. In the same way, when we discover ourselves becoming anxious for some reason, (and you’ll know the feeling) we adjust ourselves beneath the surface…and return to the present, where anxiety can’t live. This is possible. Perhaps we focus on our breathing; perhaps we watch the shifting clouds in the sky; perhaps we speak kindly to ourselves or share with someone we trust. And just for a moment, our cortisol levels drop and we become present again, calm… OK. Returning to the present is like finding elusive warmth in the chill sea.