For those who do not know, I am a student of psychology. I am in my senior year, and soon will be going in for my Masters program and all that lovely stuff. This isn't so much a job that I settled on, you could sort of say that it picked me. I've got a lot of practice dealing with this sort of thing; not only have I studied it first hand, my mom has GAD--Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Existential Anxiety as well as both separation anxiety and the anxious-avoidant attachment style. But on the plus side, we have made a lot of progress on the separation anxiety, so we are getting somewhere.
While not every person is the same, there is a lot of commonality in anxiety disorders and anxiety expression. You know you have anxiety when you feel a general feeling of unease all the time. You worry a lot. You get restless all the time, you can easily be described as high strung, or there is always something bothering you that you just can't quite put your finger on.
Sometimes Anxiety is brought on by a specific life event. Sometimes its a lot of little things that add up into a great big pile that you just can't get under control. For some, its a life-long struggle. For others, its just a passing phase. For most it comes and goes, the triggers can be discernible but a lot of the time, the person being anxious can't realize its happening until wham-o its crippling.
So, if you deal with chronic anxiety, here are some tips. This isn't meant to replace the work of a professional therapist. In fact, if you are severely chronically anxious I recommend you go out there and get individualized attention.
First: The On-set
The good news about anxiety is it starts small, and if you act fast you can actually catch it before it grows into something bigger. The bad news is that most Chronic anxious people don't realize/do anything about it until the anxiety has already built up speed like a freight train. Next thing you know there is anxiety about anxiety, which is like paying for your mortgage with your credit card.
If you feel the seeds of anxiety beginning to sprout don't write it off. Don't try to push it down, and whatever you do, don't ignore it. That is only going to make it worse. I'd bet money you've tried these things before, and I would also bet they weren't very successful. Instead, tell yourself this;
"I know this is Anxiety. But this is not my anxiety. I don't want this thought, and this is my body, this is my mind. I don't have to let it control me, I am in control of me."
There is nothing special about this set of words, it is just a reminder that your mind and your body are yours to control. The worst thing about anxiety is it feels like we are loosing control, and when that happen, those of us who struggle with it begin to roll over and just accept it. We just come to feel that "Oh no its happening! Its happening! I know I can't control this, I lose every time!" What we want to do is relieve that.
Second: The build up
Ok, so what happens when you don't realize it starting and you find yourself on the upward climb? You haven't quite lost control yet but you can feel the climb upward like your on a roller coaster feeling the ride go on.
You still haven't lost control. Sure you feel the anxiety, and sure, its strong, but you haven't lost control. Its not your anxiety, its just anxiety you are feeling. When you get to this point, your going to want to try a few simple breathing exercises. Breath in though your nose very slowly, filling your lungs. And slowly breath out through your lips. Do this repeatedly, slowly until you feel better. What you are doing is regulating your breathing. First, you are altering your brain's activity intentionally by focusing on your breathing, changing what you think about. Next, your regulating your oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, and that is always good for you. Do not make yourself hyperventilate. That is only gonna make things worse. Breath slowly.
Third: The Long term
While these things are great, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So how do we beat anxiety long-term? Or at least make it more manageable before 'attacks'? ((Not necessarily anxiety attacks... but you get the gist)) Well, the good news is there are considerably more ways of managing than there are ways of stopping anxiety. Here are a few ways;
First, meditate. I know, I know "I can't meditate." Frankly, I am tired of hearing this excuse. To those about to make it:
Do it about ten minute a day, more if you'd like. I like to devote a solid hour to my meditations, personally.
Next, find the things that make you chronically anxious. Are you overworked? Are you pushing yourself too hard? Are there just things and people you need to say no to? Are you ignoring your family because of work? Do you expect to be the best? Do you refuse second or third place? If you answered yes to any of these, you need to change that for your health. Only you can care of you, if you aren't willing to accept responsibility and change these things, you will stay the same and you will remain unhappy.
Finally, talk. Find someone you know you love and can trust who loves and trusts you back unconditionally and tell them. Ask them to invest in your life and to help you get better. They love you, so of course they will. When you feel anxious go talk. When you feel worried, go talk. On your good days, talk and tell them how they have helped you. You don't have to give them the full 9 yards on your anxiety unless that is how y'all roll, but knowing you have someone in your corner helps a lot.
Cheers, and happy threading mates.
While not every person is the same, there is a lot of commonality in anxiety disorders and anxiety expression. You know you have anxiety when you feel a general feeling of unease all the time. You worry a lot. You get restless all the time, you can easily be described as high strung, or there is always something bothering you that you just can't quite put your finger on.
Sometimes Anxiety is brought on by a specific life event. Sometimes its a lot of little things that add up into a great big pile that you just can't get under control. For some, its a life-long struggle. For others, its just a passing phase. For most it comes and goes, the triggers can be discernible but a lot of the time, the person being anxious can't realize its happening until wham-o its crippling.
So, if you deal with chronic anxiety, here are some tips. This isn't meant to replace the work of a professional therapist. In fact, if you are severely chronically anxious I recommend you go out there and get individualized attention.
First: The On-set
The good news about anxiety is it starts small, and if you act fast you can actually catch it before it grows into something bigger. The bad news is that most Chronic anxious people don't realize/do anything about it until the anxiety has already built up speed like a freight train. Next thing you know there is anxiety about anxiety, which is like paying for your mortgage with your credit card.
If you feel the seeds of anxiety beginning to sprout don't write it off. Don't try to push it down, and whatever you do, don't ignore it. That is only going to make it worse. I'd bet money you've tried these things before, and I would also bet they weren't very successful. Instead, tell yourself this;
"I know this is Anxiety. But this is not my anxiety. I don't want this thought, and this is my body, this is my mind. I don't have to let it control me, I am in control of me."
There is nothing special about this set of words, it is just a reminder that your mind and your body are yours to control. The worst thing about anxiety is it feels like we are loosing control, and when that happen, those of us who struggle with it begin to roll over and just accept it. We just come to feel that "Oh no its happening! Its happening! I know I can't control this, I lose every time!" What we want to do is relieve that.
Second: The build up
Ok, so what happens when you don't realize it starting and you find yourself on the upward climb? You haven't quite lost control yet but you can feel the climb upward like your on a roller coaster feeling the ride go on.
You still haven't lost control. Sure you feel the anxiety, and sure, its strong, but you haven't lost control. Its not your anxiety, its just anxiety you are feeling. When you get to this point, your going to want to try a few simple breathing exercises. Breath in though your nose very slowly, filling your lungs. And slowly breath out through your lips. Do this repeatedly, slowly until you feel better. What you are doing is regulating your breathing. First, you are altering your brain's activity intentionally by focusing on your breathing, changing what you think about. Next, your regulating your oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, and that is always good for you. Do not make yourself hyperventilate. That is only gonna make things worse. Breath slowly.
Third: The Long term
While these things are great, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So how do we beat anxiety long-term? Or at least make it more manageable before 'attacks'? ((Not necessarily anxiety attacks... but you get the gist)) Well, the good news is there are considerably more ways of managing than there are ways of stopping anxiety. Here are a few ways;
First, meditate. I know, I know "I can't meditate." Frankly, I am tired of hearing this excuse. To those about to make it:
Everyone can mediate. There have been twenty five documented medical studies within the psychiatric community on how and if people can mediate, and some even targeted ADD and ADHD people. All came back positive. More than that, meditation is not a cure all, but it sure as hell helps on pretty much everything. There is a reason we are calling it "psychological penicillin" y'all, and it ain't just cause it sounds good. It's not a religion thing, it is 100% freaking neuroscience and psychological behaviorism. Your just teaching your mind to act in a more reposed state, letting the almagata take a back seat and encouraging your cerebral cortex to take a more active role and intentionally making those neurological pathways between axions happen. THEY DON'T JUST HAPPEN. You brain is constantly pruning your brain away, getting rid of old memories (that's why we forget), and only building more pathways where you use your freakin' gray matter. It makes your brain efficient for Christ's sake. This is the only occasion where we see unparalleled brain growth in the cerebral cortex. This cortex is your logic center, the part of you that makes good decisions. Who doesn't want to make good decisions? Answer: we all want to. So quit making excuses and just freaking meditate. Please.
Do it about ten minute a day, more if you'd like. I like to devote a solid hour to my meditations, personally.
Next, find the things that make you chronically anxious. Are you overworked? Are you pushing yourself too hard? Are there just things and people you need to say no to? Are you ignoring your family because of work? Do you expect to be the best? Do you refuse second or third place? If you answered yes to any of these, you need to change that for your health. Only you can care of you, if you aren't willing to accept responsibility and change these things, you will stay the same and you will remain unhappy.
Finally, talk. Find someone you know you love and can trust who loves and trusts you back unconditionally and tell them. Ask them to invest in your life and to help you get better. They love you, so of course they will. When you feel anxious go talk. When you feel worried, go talk. On your good days, talk and tell them how they have helped you. You don't have to give them the full 9 yards on your anxiety unless that is how y'all roll, but knowing you have someone in your corner helps a lot.
Cheers, and happy threading mates.
