The buzz is all around, whether you are talking amongst friends or perusing social media, and that buzz is about anxiety. It encompasses the uncertainty, unease, panic, mood shift and much more of this not-so-desirable state of mind. Questions race like, 'Will this ever stop?' or 'What can I do about this?' The greater the focus is centered around what negatives are not ending only increases the resultant stress.
Some of the normalcies of anxiety are the constant heart palpitations, racing thoughts and tightened stomach. In your own mind, you may feel stifled imagining what could go wrong (never, or rarely what could go right). The conversations you engage in become a replay station and you brace yourself for situations that may never occur. To say it is exhausting would be an understatement.
Even though you logically know that everything is likely okay, it is still possible to feel that something is terribly wrong. The reason for this is because anxiety is not only happening in your thoughts. It is also a body and brain response as they are determining how to react to what they perceive as a threat.
Because it is the role of the brain to keep you safe, when danger is detected, a part of your brain called the amygdala responds. It is there to detect and respond to threats. This part can then signal and activate the body's stress response, which is pivotal when you are facing an actual danger.
Other times, this area of the brain misreads and enacts the alarm when there is no immediate physical threat. Some examples would be a text that you were awaiting a response and it goes unanswered, or a challenging conversation, a difficult medical appointment, money struggles or a mistake made at work. Any one of these aforementioned examples, plus many others, can engage that alarm.
Despite the immediate threat not physically presenting, even the thought of something going wrong can trigger that internal alarm. And once that takes place, it is easy to fall into a familiar pattern of the trigger, then the anxious thought, the resultant body physical response and then the reaction. This pattern runs on repeat each time the trigger is introduced. And the more often that response becomes, the easier it may feel to travel down that same mental road.
But the good news is you are here and wanting to understand the root cause. It does not have to be permanent. In fact, today can be the first step towards change.
Let's start with some imagery of walking through a large field with tall grass. That first time you cross it, there is no detectable trail. You have to really push through the tall grass and intentionally choose where you are going. Tomorrow (or the next time), that same route becomes just slightly easier and more familiar. Eventually, the repeat pattern of walking this path allows it to become far more visible.
Maybe the path has become familiar for the wrong reasons. It has, perhaps, become habit to overthink, worry and repeatedly consider the "what if's". Instead of relief, it is replayed that the expectation is something will go wrong.
Just because a path is familiar does not mean it is the path you have to keep taking. It will take intentionality, so the next time anxiety starts pulling you down that old trail, remove the focus of trying to eliminate the feeling. Instead, simply try noticing the path.
For just a moment, take a pause and ask yourself where this thought is taking you. Then, in that pause, determine if there is another way to respond. This should be one small move of the solution dial. You do not have to create an entirely new road pathway today. You just have to take one alternate step.
The next time a stressor trigger enters, break it into a bite-sized piece. You see, the meaningful change begins with something incredibly small. Here are some ideas to get you started:
-Investigate what you actually know by separating facts from the story your anxiety created.
-Give yourself a break, or a permission to allow yourself ten minutes before you text, call, cancel, respond or make a decision.
-Take in a full box breath circuit where you breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for 4 and complete 4 rounds of this same exercise. It creates a small space between your feeling and your response.
-Do the next small thing instead of solving everything
-Write your thoughts down that are causing anxiety and get them out of your brain and on paper. For instance, seeing the words, "They're upset with me" on paper, can make it easier to do number one (mentioned above). Then, ask yourself if you know that or are you assuming that?
A small step like these, or one you come up with, doesn't necessarily make the anxiety vanish. It is however, something that teaches you that anxiety is not in control and doesn't have to make the decision.
*Please note that this article (and all articles in this blogspot) are for educational purposes and are not a substitute for individualized mental healthcare. Persistent, or severe anxiety, can benefit from evaluation and treatment by a qualified healthcare, or mental health, professional.
