Back to School – a time of anxiety and fear for many youngsters

When a child is entering Kindergarten or perhaps first grade, it’s natural to be a bit fearful. Will the teacher be nice – or mean. What about the other children? Will they like me or hate me? 

Then making the transition to Junior High or High School brings a new anxiety. Suddenly the child is

moved from “upper classman” to a lowly newbie. And they know that many of the older students won't let them forget it.

Then there are all those poor kids who have moved over the summer and are entering a new school where they don’t know one soul? Terrifying! 

All the parental reassurances in the world won’t stop some children from going into that first day – and even those first weeks of school without fear and apprehension. 

Dr. Bach’s Mimulus flower extract will help. 

Some flower essence practitioners believe that the Mimulus fears are akin to the fear of the newborn – coming from a safe womb into a harsh new world. And isn’t that much like what children experience when being thrust into a new environment where their protectors (parents) cannot follow.  

Mimulus helps regain the soul quality of courage, allowing the sufferer to bravely move forward.

Aspen is another of Dr. Bach’s essences that will aid a child at this time. Aspen relates more to vague fears and apprehension – as when a child is fearful but can’t say exactly why. 

Rock Rose is most helpful in situations where the child knows exactly why they are fearful. Perhaps they’ve been bullied or ridiculed – or even physically assaulted in school. Those fears border on terror and panic.

All of these remedies can be found in Feel Bach’s Feel5iveformula. This is one that many of us keep on hand to use in occasional stressful situations – a job interview, a trip to the dentist, or a first meeting with a sweetheart’s family. 

Click the links and read more about each of these remedies, then choose what’s right for your child. Start treatment a few days before school starts, so he or she can begin building inner defenses against that crippling fear.

Worrying about the election won't help - but it can hurt YOU

Worry is a debilitating emotion. It can dominate your thoughts until you're unable to function

properly in your home or work life. It can give you indigestion. It can affect your sleep. It can even lead to physical ailments.

Meanwhile, those who know the Law of Attraction will tell you that worrying about something will draw that something to you.

Perhaps your individual worry that the "wrong" candidate will be elected won't change the outcome, but if enough people worry together, it just might. The vibratory energy of thought is a powerful force.

So if you're worried - about the election or about anything else affecting your life, the thing to do is to cut it out.

Gain control of your mind and your thoughts - and when you begin to worry or obsess over something, "switch the channel." Think of something that pleases you.

Maybe that something is the smile on a loved one's face. Maybe it's a warm puppy. Maybe it's anticipation of a bubble bath. Whatever it is that will give your feelings an instant lift - switch to it.
If you're having trouble thinking of something when the worry has taken over - keep a written list of "good feeling thoughts" that you can refer to. Then do it. 

Meanwhile, get and use Dr. Bach's flower essences White Chestnut and Aspen. Both will help to re-balance your energies and allow you to once again gain control of your own thought processes.

When allowed, your higher self will guide you to better feeling thoughts and will stop you from obsessive worrying. When your energies are out of balance, you turn off those messages from the higher self and are left at the mercy of your own mental hyperactivity.

As for the election... Support your candidates and campaign for them by giving other people good reasons to do the same. Donate if you can do so without depriving your loved ones.

And then, go vote.

Shed the Worry – Don't Let World Events Make You Sick

Every time you turn on the TV, check your email, or read a newspaper there's more bad news.

From the decisions being made in Washington D.C. to events around the world, there's worry over politics. And then there's crime, job losses, the escalating national debt – and it goes on and on. 

But can you change it by worrying? No. 

You can help change a few things at home by voting. You can help ease some suffering in your own community by becoming a volunteer. You can add to prosperity in the world by working, and teaching your children that work is a good and honorable pursuit. 

You can help protect yourself and your loved ones by using good sense. Follow a sensible diet, drive safely, avoid walking on dark streets, etc. 

But you can't change world events or save people from their own destructive behavior. All you can do by living in fear is make yourself sick – and make your loved ones miserable.

So stop taking the world on your shoulders. Let go of the fear of what might happen. 

Several of Dr. Bach's essences are here to help you.  

• Aspen treats pathological worry. 
• Cherry Plum dissipates fear and the sense of losing control. 
• Mimulus treats all types of fears and instills courage. 
• Gorse and SweetChestnut give us confidence to face life with hope and positive feelings. 
• Mustard fights depression. 
• Red Chestnut dissipates fear of illness. 

This is your life. Live it to the fullest by banishing the fears that tarnish your days.

Monsters Under the Bed and Other Irrational Fears

Do you or someone you love suffer from irrational fears? Whether it's monsters under the bed or just a general anxiety that something awful is going to happen any minute, living in fear is a terrible way to live.

Instead of believing your child has an over-active imagination or that he is merely trying to manipulate you, consider that he may be living in a negative Aspen state. If so, he does believe that the monster is there. He lives in a constant state of fear, and may dread going to bed at night. In addition, he may not be getting proper sleep because he fears what will happen during the night.

Instead of punishment, give him the Bach Flower Essence, Aspen.

Adults who live in this negative state are similarly fearful, although they don't focus on the monster. Instead, they experience a general anxiety that has no focus - they really don't know what they're afraid of, they're just afraid.

I wish I had known about Bach Flower Remedies when my aunt was alive, because she was a classic case. She lived with the "what if's" and couldn't relax and fully enjoy things - or watch her children enjoy things - because something bad might be right around the corner. She lived with a feeling of dread and anxiety.

Adults and children in the extreme negative state sometimes experience full-blown anxiety attacks, complete with the physical symptoms of trembling, sweating, and stomach upset.

The cause behind the negative Aspen state may be a sensitivity to higher planes of consciousness and psychic currents. In some cases it occurs as a result of trying to explore higher spheres and becoming overly "tuned in" to feelings and impressions which cannot easily be recognized and explained in "daytime consciousness."

After treatment with Aspen, sufferers can enjoy daily life without groundless fears, and can also explore those higher planes without becoming "stuck."

Does Your Child Have a Monster Under the Bed?

Instead of believing your child has an over-active imagination or that he is merely trying to manipulate you, consider that he may be living in a negative Aspen state. If so, he does believe that the monster is there. He lives in a constant state of fear, and may dread going to bed at night. In addition, he may not be getting proper sleep because he fears what will happen during the night.

Instead of punishment, give him the Bach Flower Essence, Aspen.

Adults who live in this negative state are similarly fearful, although they don't focus on the monster. Instead, they experience a general anxiety that has no focus - they really don't know what they're afraid of, they're just afraid.

I wish I had known about Bach Flower Remedies when my aunt was alive, because she was a classic case. She lived with the "what if's" and couldn't relax and fully enjoy things - or watch her children enjoy things - because something bad might be right around the corner. She lived with a feeling of dread and anxiety.

Adults and children in the extreme negative state sometimes experience full-blown anxiety attacks, complete with the physical symptoms of trembling, sweating, and stomach upset.

The cause behind the negative Aspen state may be a sensitivity to higher planes of consciousness and psychic currents. In some cases it occurs as a result of trying to explore higher spheres and becoming overly "tuned in" to feelings and impressions which cannot easily be recognized and explained in "daytime consciousness."

After treatment with Aspen, sufferers can enjoy daily life without groundless fears, and can also explore those higher planes without becoming "stuck."