Every now and then I read something that causes me to go back and read it again… and sometimes… again. A blog post titled “Breaking free from the weasel dance” was one such moment.
I spend a lot of time reading and researching material related to mindfulness and ways that I might be able to increase my joy (and hopefully also reduce my pain). As regrettable as it is to say, sometimes the material starts to feel a little bit repetitive. But weasel dancing… now that’s new!
So then – to the article: Breaking Free from the Weasel Dance: How to Overcome Anxiety and Reclaim Your Peace – Martha Beck
I don’t want to plagiarize life coach Martha Beck’s text, but I still want to explain the reference to the weasel (and fair warning – it’s grim), so below is a paraphrased summary.
Weasels apparently catch their rabbit-lunch by performing a mesmerizing dance routine for the rabbit. Instead of beating a hasty retreat at the arrival of the weasel, the rabbit is stunned into bemusement by the leaping and somersaulting weasel. Unluckily for the rabbit, the weasel predicts this intense, frozen-in-place, curiosity and choreographs its performance in such a way that it can weasel right up to the rabbit, and then lunge at the unsuspecting prey… (her post includes a link to a nature video which shows both dance and death (which I watched but am too squeamish to share (sorry not sorry)).
Martha Beck uses this real-life scenario as an analogy for the contemporary news cycle. On our screens [hand-held, wall mounted, shared, or solo] we are hypnotized by the dancing lights and music of a perpetual news cycle in which politicians, billionaires, and trolls are trying to capture our attention.
It creates a paradoxical situation. As she puts it: “right now, it’s like we’ve wandered into a weasel rave” – however, be that as it may, she also writes – “Here’s a life-coaching session in five words: Never watch a weasel dance.“
Ms Beck goes on to remind us that not watching the weasel dance is not the same as ignoring it. In fact – ignore it at your peril. You have to be aware of what’s happening in the world, but not mesmerized into submission by it. We need to acknowledge that the news is being delivered in a way that is both fascinating and frightening; specifically designed to pull us down a metaphorical rabbit-hole where the weasels are happy to hunt. Worse still, all of this hunter-prey-stunned-devouring-excitement-regret creates in us a perpetual state of anxiety.
Here’s her top 4 tips on how to break free of the anxiety:
- When bad news hits, anchor in the present moment (practice intentional breathing and look for “glimmers“);
- Be kind to your anxiety creature [I think of it as my “pain-brain”] (and use gentle internal-talk [as opposed to what I call trash-talk]);
- Ask, ‘What Can I Make?’ (instead of ‘what should I do?’ and get creative); and
- Connect with Beloved Friends (and Animals, and Trees, and Rocks) (bonds of kindness will distract you in a good way).
The article gives more information on each of the 4 suggestions, and if you (like me) are prone to doom scrolling or anxious>catastrophic “domino thinking“, then I highly recommend a full read.
One of my favorite quotes from the piece is this:
“Panic never creates peace. But from peace, you can create anything.“
How wonderful!
I really do love a good metaphor – and this weasely one caught my attention in a way that self-help material often tries to do but sometimes fails.
Well done Ms Beck for catching my attention in a crowded digital space (or the “three-million-ring dancing-weasel circus” as you call it), and well done for successfully pulling me (and now all of you) down the anxiety-rabbit hole… but mostly; thank you for showing us that there is light at the end of the dark, anxiety-tunnel, and equally importantly – providing suggestions on how to get there!
For more great information, well worth the browse, Ms Beck’s Blog is here: Blog – Martha Beck
Meanwhile, I’m off to do a little digital detox… and perhaps slow dance around my living room for today’s version of mindful movement!
Join me?
Take care taking care out there, Linda xx
The Mindful Migraine 
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