So many of us struggle with stress and anxiety to varying degrees, but the past few years have made things even more intense. It is difficult to interact with people anymore, especially with all of the stigma surrounding the different interventions and subsequent mandates.
In general, anxiety can actually be a very beneficial tool for our bodies. It helps keep us safe if we are getting too close to potentially dangerous situations. However, when anxiety is imbalanced and on the higher end of the spectrum, this can lead to an almost paralyzing feeling impacting your ability to function. This is when fear becomes a problem and is no longer helping keep you safe it is now hindering your ability to really live.
There are a lot of things that can be done for stress and anxiety. The first step is to understand its purpose, and then be able to recognize it in you, and know when it is becoming a problem. It is completely possible to learn how to manage your anxiety and be able to live a healthy and vibrant life no matter how crazy the world outside gets. As you learn to get a better handle on your anxiety, you will also get to know yourself better and understand what brings more joy in your life.
A 33 year old mother of 3 recently visited us with a history of anxiety that had gotten worse in the last 2 years. She had been put on various mood stabilizing drugs and, as she was unable to see a therapist in person as a result of closures, she had been suffering in silence. Things finally got so bad that she knew she needed to do something, so she came to see us. We started by addressing her Determinants of Health – those things that are really important to understand and have answers to in order to actually be able to give health a chance. Breath, digestion and nutrition, hydration, mental/emotional support, social connection, and others.
She started learning a lot about herself through this process and learned that she needed to start taking care of herself first. She also realized she had some digestive issues and started working on those in order to improve her health. She has continued her relationship with us and improved her anxiety to the point that she can now recognize those things that increase her anxiety, and utilize tools she has learned to help address it. She is now enjoying life a lot more than she was in the past, and has a better relationship with both her children and her husband.
You can start now as well with some simple awareness and mindfulness techniques.
Start by just taking a moment to pause, and notice, what comes up for you when the anxiety starts to creep in?
A journaling or free writing exercise can be really helpful throughout this process. You can either keep a journal on hand and write daily, or you can try a short automatic writing exercise. For this short exercise, grab a piece of paper and just start writing. Just see what comes up in your head. It can be completely random, especially when you are first starting out. Eventually you might notice a stream of thoughts coming out. Just keep writing. You can set yourself a timer, and then when that timer is up, take a look at what came out on the paper. Then, destroy the paper. Let it go. Notice what feelings come up as you do this. Try this for at least 5 days in a row, and see what comes up for you.
If you’d like more targeted support in addressing your stress and anxiety, book a Discovery Session today to learn more about how we can help!