As we are living in a generally more intense time, we all experience anxiety in a variety of ways. We all also carry our anxieties differently. Yet when I mention anxiety, it is still a foreign concept to many. Regardless of the fact that they may experience it daily.
So, what is Anxiety?
Simply stated anxiety is our bodies natural way of responding to having too many worries. You know that constant what-if? We all do it, we all have experienced it. It is such a natural and necessary feeling or emotion. It can actually aid in productivity, but it can also be intrusive and debilitating when not managed properly.
When we don’t know that we struggle with anxiety, we may simply be sleeping badly.
Have a multitude of excuses for being irritable and moody to the extent that we start avoiding people and places resulting in us being isolated, which not only doesn’t benefit us, but weakens our mental and emotional well-being.
What can we do to help counter act the intrusion of anxiety?
Let us look at an anxiety case… witness this scene with me if you will.
( This will help you place anxiety in context with your daily interaction and assist you in managing it, or observing it in your loved ones.)
Jenny isn’t sleeping well at night; she keeps getting to work tired and has started to ignore her colleagues at their coffee station.
She replies to simple questions in an abrupt and harsh manner. As the day continues, she is bombarded with e-mails asking her to re-do the work she had already submitted.
Her coming deadline is tomorrow and now she has double the tasks she had planned on.
Jenny already worried that she can’t complete her tasks, starts thinking of all the situations that could happen, but all in the negative, all of the ways in which she may fail in meeting her deadlines. Not realizing it, she is working herself up and is embarking on an anxiety attack. She can’t focus, her breathing is irregular everything around her feels out of her control.
What can and should she do in this situation?
· Ground herself – put both feet on the floor and find a few things in the room that she can describe. (This takes her focus away from everything that can go wrong, it forces her to become present and be in
the moment – in control).
· She will need to confirm to herself. I am safe and in the process of calming down. I’m able to manage these tasks, I am capable of doing what is expected, I have the skills to concur this hurdle. (The affirming of her safety and ability is counteracting her negative self-talk empowering herself to once again take ownership of her ability).
· Breathing – throughout this entire process she is encouraged to breath in through her nose and out through her mouth. (She has to focus on how she breaths and slow it down to become aware of the rhythm, taking control of the natural action, once again shifting her focus).
· Go outside – once she has composed herself, she is encouraged to go outside no matter how daunting , as the fresh air and additional oxygen will help promote blood flow and processing of everything that has taking place.
As mentioned already, we all have anxiety and we all suffer from it. It does however manifest differently in different people. Children too suffer from anxiety they may complain of it in the following ways: headaches, stomach aches, they may struggle to make simple decisions or have complete meltdowns about small and simple things. These symptoms may also occur in adults.
Just remember, whether it’s you, or your little munchkin that is struggling with anxiety. There are ways of overcoming it.
1. Ground yourself
2. Breath through your nose and out through your nose
3. Confirm that your safe and will come through the moment.
4. Go outside and change your surroundings.
You got this.
Alecia xo