4 min

Most of my life, I called myself an anxious person. My mum called me a 'zorgenkontje', meanin 'little overthinker'. I have always been drawn to taking the worst thing that could happen and spinning it over and over in my little mind, until I myself felt dizzy.

Worrying has always been my protective shield.

‘‘If I worry, then I will have thought about all the potential upcoming events and I won't be surprised by anything.’’ I believed as a child. I would be protected from the hardship of life through my own imagination.

Girl sitting in a cute cafe with her eyes closed meditating

A story untold

I believe that a story inside of us should be told. It should be told within the privacy of your diary or the safety of someone else's presence. Anxious stories are like a mysterious character in the shade of the room, leaning in to whisper in our ears. When we bring these stories into the light, this part of us will feel heard.

I would be protected from the hardship of life through my own imagination.

A story unacknowledged will continue to whisper in your ears.

It's like the little child who wants to tell you a story of what happened at school. After they share it, they contentedly move on to do something else.

The worry-some mind

But what happens when these stories, these intrusive thoughts that keep circulating in our mind? When we have given it the space, but it has become a pattern that we keep coming back to.

The anxiety will make us believe that we need to stay stuck in this loop as a way to protect ourselves.'If I keep thinking about it and reminding myself of it, I will keep myself safe from it.'

In these cases, we need a pattern interrupt to actively move our mind in another direction than we're used to. As our mind will keep bringing up reasons for us to continue thinking about it, we need a solid direction. If we think about thing A, we will turn to think about thing B next.

Girl viewed from the back alone in a busy street worrying

The Harrod's Pivot: A Lifeline for Anxiety

A practice I have started to call the Harrod's Pivot has been my way to cope with anxiety. It's been like a lifeline for me to deal with intrusive thoughts and continues to be every single day.

Step 1: Shed Light on the Story

We start the practice by first shedding light on the story of the intrusive thoughts. Again, a story first needs to be told. So, write about it, feel it through, and learn what it has to say.

Example: Let’s say Janneke is really scared of loved ones getting angry with her. The story this part of her plays out often goes something like this: 'I haven't heard from Dirk in a while. Did I do something? I think I should have gone to his party last month. I am not a good friend. Probably he is upset with me.'

Step 2: Understanding the Story

She first takes a moment to understand the story. Understand what this part of her feels and believes, perhaps even where it stems from. After listening and acknowledging, a wiser part of us can take over. It’s like the mother after listening to her child.

This is the part of Janneke that can see: 'Actually, I know Dirk is not as active on Whatsapp. I also know that the last time something was going on, he did tell me how he felt. I also know that I am prone to having these anxious thoughts about getting into disharmony with loved ones. Most likely, even though it feels so strong, nothing much is going on.'

Sometimes, focusing on this wiser part of us is enough, and the thought goes away.

The Harrod's Pivot is there for the moment when the thought doesn’t go away.

A wooden turning door to go into department store

Step 3: When the Thought Doesn't Go Away

The Harrod's Pivot is there for the moment when the thought doesn’t go away. When the thought keeps circulating in our minds, but we know there is no truth in it, we can decide to do this practice.

Janneke decided to do the Harrod's Pivot whenever she becomes aware of this story taking her over.

Step 4: Visualization of the Pivot

The Harrod's Pivot is a visualization.

First, you imagine a wooden old revolving door of a department store (you guessed it: Harrods!). You push and go through this door, entering the building.

Here you find an area of the department store, which can be whatever comes up for you. Jewelry, clothing, makeup, furniture? Look around and picture what you see. Perhaps you see beautiful counters filled with diamonds, gold necklaces, and rings, and bright tiles on the floor. You see people walking.

Close your eyes and make up your own internal world.

The Power of a New World

This practice is so powerful because it takes us somewhere else for a moment. Not to another situation in our own life, where we can again push the same story upon it, but to a new world.

Most of the time, moving through this practice (even for just 20-30 seconds) can help you create more distance between you and the thought. And that's all we need.

We only suffer when we immerse ourselves in the story. When we can look at it, notice it, and realize this is what our mind is doing, we don't need to do anything with it.

We only suffer when we immerse ourselves in the story. When we can look at it, notice it, and realize this is what our mind is doing, we don't need to do anything with it.

Fancy department store with high ceiling

Taking Control of Our Thoughts

One of my therapists once said: 'Your mind is like a mailbox. You have mails coming in from everywhere, which is not something you can control too much. What you can control, however, is which ones you decide to read and which you just place away in your spam folder.'

All thoughts and parts of us are allowed to be there, but not all of them need to be given the steering wheel.

Elizabeth Gilbert even wrote a letter to Fear explaining this so beautifully in 'Big Magic':

“Dearest Fear: Creativity and I are about to go on a road trip together. I understand you’ll be joining us, because you always do. I acknowledge that you believe you have an important job to do in my life, and that you take your job seriously.

Apparently your job is to induce complete panic whenever I’m about to do anything interesting—and, may I say, you are superb at your job.

So by all means, keep doing your job, if you feel you must.

But I will also be doing my job on this road trip, which is to work hard and stay focused. And Creativity will be doing its job, which is to remain stimulating and inspiring.

There’s plenty of room in this vehicle for all of us, so make yourself at home, but understand this: Creativity and I are the only ones who will be making any decisions along the way.

I recognize and respect that you are part of this family, and so I will never exclude you from our activities, but still—your suggestions will never be followed.

You’re allowed to have a seat, and you’re allowed to have a voice, but you are not allowed to have a vote.

You’re not allowed to touch the road maps; you’re not allowed to suggest detours; you’re not allowed to fiddle with the temperature.

Dude, you’re not even allowed to touch the radio. But above all else, my dear old familiar friend, you are absolutely forbidden to drive.”

Amazing christmas decorations in Harrods department store

Emotional balance in our life

One aspect of the journey toward emotional balance involves embracing all parts of us—the anxious, fearful, and vulnerable parts.

In holistic therapy, we do just that. We explore how the body and mind are interconnected, acknowledging the stories that live within us, and creating a safe space to release them.

Through this approach, we can shift our internal patterns, move away from fear-based thinking, and begin to make more conscious choices about how we respond to our emotions.

Whether it’s through the visualization techniques I’ve shared, or through the bodywork and talk therapy offered in holistic therapy, the goal is the same: to regain a sense of control—not over life’s uncertainties, but over how we choose to engage with them.

In this process, anxiety can lose its power over us, allowing us to experience life with more freedom and peace.

I hope that this tool can be helpful for you too in tougher moments. Whenever you have tried it out, comment down below. I’d love to hear from you!

Warmly, Iza

Curious to find out if Holistic Therapy at With ease could work for you?

Let’s hop on a free discovery call together!

Here are some testimonials for clients who did the holistic therapy with me: