3 Simple Spells for Quelling Anxiety

Every word we speak casts a spell—and helps create the shape of the world

Here in the Pluriverse we understand that words are spells.

We are even beginning to understand that words have form and weight—although we can’t perceive them (at least not the way we think we are supposed to).

We know that words create the world—in the beginning was the word—and that every word we speak to ourselves, and to each other, shapes reality.

So, are we choosing our words wisely?

Or are we anxious and neurotic, using our words to beat ourselves up for not being “good” enough?

I know my answer, unfortunately.

I’ve been casting negative spells on myself for a long time. However, I am no longer interested in being the most neurotic girl in the room. I release that belief about myself, and I take steps in every moment necessary to rewire the patterns of behaviour that having me performing anxiety again and again.

Maybe you’ve grown bored, too, of hating yourself or blaming yourself for every little thing. Maybe you’re ready to choose positivity and watch it ripple out into every corner of your life. Maybe you’re ready to shape the world with new words, ones that don’t play into old stories like original sin or the myth of individualism.

If this speaks to you, here are 3 spells to conjure joy and contentment into your life while simultaneously reducing anxiety, hatred, and self-judgement.

None of these spells are a replacement for putting one foot in front of the other (i.e. doing the exercise, setting the boundary, taking the necessary but scary risk, etc.), but they *will* make putting one foot in front of the other much easier.

I learned these mantras from Bashar, a friend from the future (as he refers to himself on his website) and one of the many channels offering wisdom to humans.

Whether or not these spells can work for you is up to your own discernment. They may not be helpful for big ticket anxiety, but are more for minor annoyances and frustrations. Either way, I recommend giving them a shot. See what spells you can cast upon yourself, and don’t hesitate to update us with the results!

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Spell 1: So what?

You didn’t get the job. So what? Your team lost the game. So what? Someone cut you off in traffic. So what? You got turned down by your crush. So what? You ate a bunch of cookies and now you have a big ass zit on your face. So what?

“So what?” isn’t an invitation to bypass grief or to continue the behaviour that got you into trouble. It’s an invitation to move on and make new choices.

If you’re sad, be sad. Feel it fully. But don’t attach stories to it. I didn’t get the job because I’m not good enough. No! You didn’t get the job because you didn’t the job. Full stop. If you wanted that job but you didn’t have enough expertise, go out and get the expertise you need. Don’t beat yourself up—that will only slow you down.

Life doesn’t always go the direction we want. So what?

Don’t use disappointment as an excuse to question your worth.

I know that you’ve been taught to tie your worth to your job or bank account, your relationships or your achievements, but none of that is real.

The homeless guy on the side of the street shooting drugs into his veins is just as worthy as you are. Our worth is inherent. This means we don’t have to earn it.

You didn’t get the thing you wanted. So what? Oh, well. Maybe something better is in store.

Seriously, how much time have we wasted fixating over the things we don’t have? —the accomplishments we haven’t achieved or money we don’t have? When, instead, we could be putting that energy towards action steps?

Each negative thought is a drain on your energy. Feel what you need to feel, but never at the expense of getting stuck. Emotions are meant to move through you, not keep you in one place. Something doesn’t go your way?

So what?

Move on.

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Spell 2: Why not?

Now that we understand how much time we are wasting on being disappointed, let’s flip the coin over to reveal how many times we’ve given up before we even got started.

We are our own worst enemies. There is no one else in the world holding you back the way you’re holding yourself back. And if your response to that is, That’s not true—there’s this person or that person, then, please, get away from those people. Do it now.

I know we all have family members or loved ones who get us down sometimes, who say things without realizing the effect they’ll have on us, but if you truly believe someone is the root of your problems, get away from them. Otherwise look yourself hard in the mirror and accept that you are the one causing yourself the most pain.

The great secret of the world is that we’re all making it up. The people who are the most successful are not necessarily the most talented. They are simply the ones who haven’t given up on themselves. Privilege helps. So does natural talent. But most people who you perceive as talented or lucky actually worked really, really hard to get where they are.

Go watch any music documentary, for example. Even someone like Katy Perry, who most of love to hate, worked her freaking butt off to get to where she is today. It’s very easy for us, from the comfort of our mediocrity, to look out and believe that fame or wealth just “happened” for others. But it rarely ever does.

(Yes, nepotism is real and it exists in every aspect of our world, not just Hollywood. So what? Get over it and get to work.)

If you dream of something big and your mind’s first reaction is, That will never happen to me, replace that thought with Why not?

I really want that funding grant or that business investment, but I don’t think I could get it. Why not? I like that person, but I don’t think they like me back. Why not? I desire to go on this trip, but I don’t think I can afford it. Why not? I wish I could change my life, but there’s no way I’ll ever pull it off. Why not?

Everyone who has ever done anything great in the world allowed themselves to think, Why not? Don’t you think the world needs your greatness? (It does! You are serving nothing and no one by playing it small.)

Belief in ourselves isn’t half the battle. It’s the whole battle. You are so much more capable than you give yourself credit for. And if you don’t believe this, ask yourself, Who does your insecurity serve?

The next time you dream of something outside your comfort zone and your mind starts up with the negativity, remind yourself, Why not?

And if things don’t go your way, remember the first mantra, So what?

Life is about experience. Failure and success are just experiences. Stop putting so much weight onto either, and keep going.

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Spell 3: Hmm, interesting.

Your get fired from your job. Hmm, interesting. Your partner tells you they want to “open” the relationship. Hmm, interesting. You trip and twist your ankle. Hmm, interesting. A massive heatwave sweeps through your region. Hmm, interesting.

All of these examples are pretty triggering, if you ask me, but they don’t have to be. Many of the great teachers say that enlightenment is detachment, but what if it’s actually curiosity?

There’s an old parable that goes, Good or bad, hard to say. It’s told all over the world in different ways (you can check out one version in Heather Lanier’s Ted Talk) with the same outcome: we can’t know if something is truly good or bad in the moment.

Catastrophes aside (these 3 spells may be less relevant in life and death scenarios but they may also be supportive), some events that can feel very upsetting in the moment but are actually setting us up for something better in the long run.

A man is working on the farm and breaks his leg. This seems bad, as he is no longer able to go to work. But then his country goes to war and he avoids the draft because he is injured. Now his broken leg feels like a miracle.

Inviting in curiosity where disappointment wants to live is one of the best ways we can support ourselves. Instead of immediately engaging with old patterns of anxiety, we can say to ourselves, Hmm, interesting. I wonder if there is something else at play here. Or, How can I make the most of this unexpected opportunity?

The truth is, we rarely make good choices when we are in an anxious state. By inviting in curiosity, instead of disappointment or frustration or fear, we open ourselves up to more possibilities.

There’s no need to tumble down a hole of upset. Why would you do that to yourself? You’re just going to have to eventually pull yourself out of there.

Take pause and look to the horizon. Even if all you see is a storm, trust that there is clarity on the other side of the clouds.

The world is full of infinite¹ possibilities, and we actively shape it with each thought. There is never any need to feed the negative.

Sometimes we need to look at the negative. Often we need to process it, which we do through grieving or movement or meditation or taking action steps. But we never need to add to it.

Stop cursing yourself with pointless negativity. Use these 3 spells to change your initial reaction to less than pleasant situations, and watch your entire life change.

Hard work and discipline are vital, but not as vital as being kind to yourself and remembering your value has nothing to do with what you produce or achieve.

You will achieve so much more when you stop getting in your own way.

So what? Why not? Hmm, interesting.

It’s all possible. Just keep going².

1. Type one (not type two) infinite ;-)

2. Except when you need to rest, of course! Please rest as much as you need.