Anxiety Antidotes: Professional Prescriptions for Managing Life Stressors
Finding Your Inner Zen
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders. About 30% of adults at some point in their lives are affected by anxiety. The good news, however, is that anxiety is treatable. As a licensed therapist I have seen anxiety present itself in many masks, from the racing thoughts that can keep people up at night to avoidance of certain people, places or things to escape an anticipation of future concerns. So take a seat in my virtual office as I present some strategies to help tackle your anxiety and regain control in your life.
1) "Mindful Moments: Breathe In, Stress Out": Sounds simple right? I know most of us have heard about breathing exercises and often have some difficulties with remembering to take a reset moment or even think how is this breathing exercise is going to help me deal with all the things on your plate. If this sounds familiar you are not alone. I am going to break down the rationale for breathing exercises and what it’s real purpose is. When we experience stress or fear our amygdala (flight or fight center) sends a distress signal- our hypothalamus (control center) activates our sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through the automatic nerves to the adrenal glands. These glands produce epinephrine (adrenaline) and as a result we experience many physiological effects such as increase heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rapidly. This process happens so quickly and without a way to reset we can often find ourselves trapped in our stress response that can perpetuate both mental and physical symptoms. Here is where deliberate deep/slow breathing, mental '“vacations” and visualization exercises allow our body to take a reset and pause our stress response. So sure, breathing won’t solve the many hats we juggle or life challenges but it will have significant effects on how our body responds and allows ourselves to regain control to be able to be more effective in how we problem solve. Let’s practice together, inhale for 4- remind yourself that it is okay to press pause and exhale for 4- allowing you to connect to your inner peace.
2) "Thought Flip: From Panic to Perspective": Our anxiety loves to feed on the worst case scenario and negative thoughts. As these thoughts creep into our mind we fear that these scenarios will come true and we will never be able to deal with the results. This can often lead to us avoiding these things to push away these fears for as long as possible. This is where putting things into perspective comes into place. Looking at our thoughts in a non judgemental way asking yourself “what is the evidence of that thought coming true” “Is the thought rooted in fact or fear” and the “liklihood of the worst case scenario coming true.” So by adding in some optimism and balance you reclaim your mental power.
3) “Gratitude Graffiti”: Gratitude can be our lantern when we are surrounded by darkness. It allows us to be deliberate in the things we are observing and be purposeful in acknowledging the good things around us. We can be so caught up in our negative script that we can forget to remember the wonders and joys around us. So in this exercise grab your sticky notes and start writing down things you are grateful for- big or small and put up those sticking notes around your space to surround yourself with the power of gratitude messages to bring in appreciation within your life.
4) "Lean on Your Crew”: Important reminder that you do not need to deal with things on your own. Reach out to trusted friends, family members, or mental health professionals for support and guidance. Whether through therapy, support groups, or having a conversation with someone you trust, connecting with others can provide comfort, validation, and new perspectives on managing anxious thoughts.
5) “Laugh Therapy”: Laughing can truly be the best antidote for our anxiety. Laughing can help to reduce tension within our bodies that we hold from chronic anxiety. Laughing causes us to contract and release muscles within our face, abdomen, chest and skeletal muscles. Laughter increases the brain's production of endorphins that help to relieve pain and stress. While anxiety activates our flight or fight responses and can keep it revved up. Laughter can stimulate it and then allows us to naturally put a pause to it. Cool huh? So go put on your favorite comedy movie or watch a comedy show or podcast and get those laughs started!
6) "Action Plan: Turning Anxiety into Action": As we discussed earlier, anxiety flourishes in a world of unknowns and uncertainity. It is why we often feel completely out of control when our anxiety takes over. Creating an action plan can regain control by tackling your worries head on. Break down big tasks into small manageable ones, set realistic goals and celebrate your hard work along the way.
Conclusion:
Anxiety can be a challenging component and quickly consume our time and energy but finding the right strategies and support system you can take on your thoughts face to face and come out victorious. So remember to take moments to pause and reset, flip the script on that unhelpful narrative, shine some light on the negativity with gratitude, find your support system, get in some good laughs and create your action plan. With each step you take you are choosing to put your peace and happiness as a top priority.
