Anxiety Can Kick Rocks
Anxiety, anxiousness, periods of prolonged stress causing anxiety, anxiety attacks, etc. Anxiety and all that it encompasses is becoming something that is widely experienced by a large portion of today's society in some form.
What Does Anxiety Feel/Look Like? Well, to be honest, all of us experience anxiety in our own way. Mental health and how someone experiences it is unique to them, which is part of why it can be difficult to manage at times. However, here are some universal symptoms that can be attributed to experiencing anxiety:
1. Persistent and severe feelings of nervousness
2. Persistent and severe feelings of impending danger/doom/panic
3. An inability to control catastrophic or worrisome thoughts
4. Persistent and severe restlessness, shakiness, sweating
5. Persistent and severe irritability
6. Inconsistent sleep cycles
7. Increased muscle aches, headaches, stomach aches/digestion issues, heart rate, and/or rapid breathing
8. Stressful and repetitive dreams
9. Brain Fog/Feeling like you can't process all your thoughts
10. Consistently fearing others' opinions of you and feeling the need to tailor your behavior/existence to their perceived expectations.
But What is Anxiety? To break it down, it's an emotional and physiological response to the fear or stress of not knowing how to progress successfully in a situation.
Our Neurotransmitters are the chemicals in our brains that help create our emotional response to what is happening around us. So, if there is a chemical imbalance, such as our brain not re-uptaking enough serotonin from our stomachs into our brains, we may experience feelings or symptoms of anxiety.
However, with that being said, anxiety can still be experienced even without a chemical imbalance in the brain. Our thoughts and previous experiences can frame our emotional responses to current situations. This means that if we have insecurities, negative past experiences, or fear of how to perform, behave, and/or communicate in a way that supports our desired outcome in a situation, we may experience anxiety.
So to put it simply, we can be biologically predisposed to anxiety through a chemical imbalance in the brain, but we can also experience anxiety based on our own life experiences, perceptions, insecurities, and fears.
OK, So I Understand Anxiety... How Do I Manage It?
Realistically there are various different ways to manage anxiety. I have gone through my own struggles with anxiety, I tried medication and it didn't work for me. I know it works for some people and that's awesome. Recovery is personal and each person's management of anxiety will be unique to them. However, physiological distress tolerance techniques, mindfulness, and grounding techniques are beneficial for anyone to learn, practice, and tailor to their liking. Here are a few tips to try!
Physiological Distress Tolerance Technique
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Contract a large muscle group for as long as you can until you feel you physically cannot any longer. Release the muscle group and focus on the feeling of the release of pressure. This activates a part of your nervous system, that tells your body the threat is gone and you can relax.
Mindfulness: Being aware of your emotions, thoughts, physical sensations, and behavior without passing judgment on yourself. What are your thoughts? What are you feeling emotionally and physically? How are you behaving? The negative judgment you pass is what creates the emotional reaction. Be kind to your mind.
Grounding Technique
Anxiety 3-3-3 Trick: When or if you begin to feel anxiety creeping upon you, and you're having a hard time kicking it try this quick trick! What are 3 things you can see? What are 3 things you can hear? What are 3 body parts you can move? opening and closing hands? stretching legs? relaxing your shoulders? This will help you ground yourself and gain control over your thoughts, your physical sensations, and your behaviors.
Anxiety can be a tough journey, and if it's not managed it can perpetuate addiction. Finding a quick fix or instant gratification for the discomfort of anxiety can be addicting. Reach out today if you or someone you know is struggling. Everyone deserves to create a life worth living, free from the limitations of mental health and/or addiction concerns.