25 Sep Managing Anxiety

Claim it!  

I know it might sound a little weird, but recognizing you are feeling anxious is an early first step in managing it.  If you know you suffer from anxiety, and you can accept the fact you are facing it in the moment, you can try a few things to diminish its symptoms.  Someone once said “the thoughts that you resist, persist.”  So, if you can recognize it and accept that it is present, it is more likely that you can move forward more comfortably.

Have A Plan

One example of how to move forward is to have a plan.  When you recognize your central nervous system is firing up, use your own personal tag line to help.  Something like “Oh there goes my Central nervous system firing up, and it is because I’m worrying about _______ (insert your own issue here).”  With a simple tool like this, you reduce your anxiety, and when feeling anxious, every tool helps.  In fact, they build upon each other – so a whole toolbox is important to have at the ready.

Remember you can Deliver

Another “tool” is to tell yourself that even though you have anxiety, that you tend to operate rather well and rarely go off the edge.  Reinforce your sense of being capable to move past it even when you are feeling it.  Think about a situation from your past where even though you were in the throws of an anxious or panicked feeling, and that afterwards you felt proud that you got though it just fine.  Perhaps someone even commented on what a good job you did.  Have you ever thought you performed poorly only to be told by others you were terrific?

Rewrite Your Story

For many people with anxiety, it is helpful to have some positive statements or scripts prepared that you can easily reach for in your toolbox.  When you feel like saying “damn, this feeling sucks,” you can instead respond to that with something like “This is something common I have, and my body is responding to the stress – AND I’m going to be ok.”  This is not a magical wish, but it is something that builds upon the other tools that’s helps to get beyond it without immobilization.

Construct an Anxiety Roadblock

Throw a roadblock up to halt the anxiety from running away with you.  Maybe ask yourself “on a scale of 1-10, what is the likelihood this thing that has me anxious will actually occur? Or, try “Am I over concerned about this thing?”  Or maybe “What reasons do I have that are worrying me that this thing will happen?”  These can bring an additional measure of relief.

Talk it out with Someone.  

Avoiding anxious thoughts alone won’t be too helpful, but if you have someone you can call or sit down with who you trust, the conversation about your feelings can be very fruitful.  You will likely be more readily accepting of some new perspectives on what has you anxious.  Don’t underestimate the power of your close ones.

Ground Yourself in your Actual Safety.  

When you feel the anxiety creeping in or overwhelming you, ask yourself if you can truly be affected by the thing that is worrying you right here and right now.  Chances are that they cannot.  Something down the road that “could” happen does not change your own level safety or security.  Remind yourself “I am OK.”  This can have a rebooting effect on your brain and body.

Apply That Nervous Energy Elsewhere. 

When anxiety has you moving towards your own internal redline, take that excess energy and put it into something that needs to be done.  It can be something as simple as loading the laundry into the machine or washing the car windshield.  If you can’t think of anything, just get up and walk a bit, even if a short distance.  Walk around your yard or around the block.  Throw the ball with your pet.  This can really help to dissipate the energy.

Take A Mind Vacation.  

Even a brief moment or two of daydreaming or thinking about something other than what you are worried about can bring relief.  Do you have any guided imagery exercises loaded onto your computer or smartphone?  If not, load some in advance and then pull one up when you feel overwhelmed.  Imagery that pictures you someplace you enjoy and find comforting can work wonders.  If you find yourself starting to redirect to the anxiety, tell it to “please hold.”  This way you can get back to the positive, comforting place.