HERE AND GONE: You know the firetruck is coming based on how loud it is. You also know it will get louder before it passes. It's louder and louder as it is coming closer and yet… there it goes? The moment and the anxiety have passed.

not only getting past an anxious moment but also redirecting your thoughts to tangible things. The familiar feeling of dread builds in your mind and you know the anxious and traumatic feelings or memories are right behind it. Take one moment to acknowledge that you are aware of it, then find five things you can see. Yes, literally, right in front or around you. For me, right this moment it is a cup of water, a dog, a laptop, a phone, and a magazine. Next, four things you can hear. I hear my dog snoring, my typing, traffic a street away and the washing machine. Three things you can touch. The plastic keyboard, a warm blanket, and my scruffy dog. Two things you can smell. Coffee from this morning and a candle nearby. One thing you can taste. I taste the ice-cold water from my cup. There. We are now many, many thoughts past the anxious ones.

Your mental exercises that redirect your thoughts can have such positive and lasting effects on managing anxiety. Lastly, a bonus tool. Imagine your anxious thoughts are an actual physical item that you can see in front of you. You know it is there. You see it clearly. You accept its existence, and you move on. You put it on the bookshelf. You may be able to still see it, but can also walk by, move on with your day, and accomplish all that you've set out to do. •

The last excerpt in this series will appear in the April 2023 issue of EP Magazine.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Colleen M. Canestrari resides in Middletown, CT with her awesome Field Spaniel Wyatt. Family Legacy USAF, US NAVY & US ARMY

Nick Benas grew up in Guilford, Connecticut. The author of Mental Health Emergencies, Warrior Wisdom, Tactical Mobility, and co-author of The Warrior's Book of Virtues, Benas is a former United States Marine Sergeant and Iraqi Combat Veteran with a background in Martial Arts (2nd Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon-Do and Green Belt Instructor in Marine Corps Martial Arts Program). Nick attended Southern Connecticut State University for his undergraduate degree in Sociology and his M.S. in Public Policy. He has been featured for his business success and entrepreneurship by more than 50 major media outlets, including Entrepreneur Magazine, Men's Health, ABC, FOX, ESPN, and CNBC.

Richard "Buzz" Bryan is currently the Outreach Coordinator for the West Palm Beach VA medical center. The co-author of The Warrior's Book of Virtues, Buzz previously served as the OEF/OIF Transition Patient Advocate (TPA) for the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN4) based in Pittsburgh, PA for ten years, working specifically with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Buzz was a member of the Navy/Marine Corps team and retired from the United States Navy in July 2011 after 22 years of honorable service as a Fleet Marine Force Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman.