Hello,
Anxiety 1
We all experience the ebb and flo of anxiety. Sometimes we feel fine, we’re doing well and feeling optimistic. Sometimes we have a sense of rising panic and this may bring with it uncomfortable physical sensations and a feeling that we’re not coping. Anxiety is our early warning system, it keeps us safe. Its job is to alert us to danger and we cannot live without it. When our anxiety seems out of control, we think we would give anything to never feel anxious again. However, if we had no anxiety at all, we could not keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. We can’t live without it and yet at times we feel it rules us and our every thought and action.
What is normal when it comes to anxiety?
These are some of the physical feelings associated with anxiety:
- Change in heart rate
- Tightness or heaviness in the chest
- Fast breathing
- Closed throat
- Churning stomach
- Inability to think straight
- Inability to sleep
This physiological sensations are biological defences to anxiety. Our bodies react to the perceived threat and prepare us to flight or fight. Our thinking brain switches off, we need to use the toilet, adrenalin floods our system and our heart works extra hard at supplying our muscles with the oxygen or nutrients they’ll need to run or fight. The problem with the physical signs of anxiety is that they can create and sustain anxiety. Understanding our anxiety can help this cycle and allow us to “dial down” the feelings, leaving us more in control and able to make choices.
When we are in the grips of anxiety and we are dis-regulated how do we return to regulation? What can we do in that moment?
Here are some suggestions. They won’t all work for you, they don’t all work for me, but hopefully there is something here that might be useful to you.
- Breathing – there are lots of models of breathing available but basically as long as you breathe slowly and your exhales are longer than your inhales, you’ll get there.
- Say one word out loud, then two, then three etc etc. This calms your breathing too.
- Just focus and pay attention to your breathing.
- Take a moment to focus on the physical sensations and really notice what is happening. Your anxiety has a job to do. Its job is to alert you to danger and call you to action. If you don’t acknowledge it, it shouts louder!
- Hum
- Sing
- Plug your ears with your fingers and focus on the sounds of the sea.
- Listen to music
- Have compassion for yourself. Tell yourself you’re doing ok. There is a reason for your anxiety.
I hope there is something there to help you in those tricky moments. Do look at the other blogs I have written for more help.
Warm wishes,
Alyson