Anxiety can be nature’s way of telling us to slow down and relax, or it can be the result of other more situational events. As many people know, anxiety is a feeling that makes us feel things like uneasiness, panic with a rapid heartbeat and increased alertness. Anxiety can be a normal reaction to everyday stressors such as an interview or even traffic jams. On the other hand, anxiety can be the result of a traumatic event that we experienced or an underlying disorder that is displayed by excessive worrying, insomnia, and other emotions that alter our daily activities. This is when its time to talk to a doctor or seek assistance from a counselor. How can I minimize my anxiety? Should I reach out to a counselor? Sometimes people don’t like the idea of therapy. We don’t like to think about the idea of opening up to someone else, a stranger, about our deepest thoughts, concerns, or troubles. However, I think if there is something bothering you, you’ve consulted your bestie, your family or anyone else you would normally go to for advice, and you can’t seem to shake the anxiety or the feelings that come along with it, why not reach out to a counselor for some guidance. Emotions and troubles can build up, go away for a while, and come back, especially feelings that come along with anxiety and depression. Yes, we may start out with situational anxiety, or we can feel as though we have had it all our memorable lives. That is why finding a counselor who can offer a safe environment to actively listen without judgement and help us create an array of possibilities. The worst thing that could happen is we decide we’re not comfortable with the situation, however we have collaborated and come up with some more ideas to incorporate into our toolboxes. Another idea, we can try to work with this person a little longer, find a different counselor and we can be on our way to releasing some of these pent-up emotions and create a different way to deal with our anxiety. Maybe the anxiety we’re experiencing was caused by a traumatic or painful event. Talking with someone who can help us come up with doable options to work through your anxiety, (fill in the blank with concern here) and they can help you develop various possibilities to deal with your worries. Counselors are awesome at helping you come up with some very cool ideas to ease some of your stressors and guide you through the entire process. Many times, counseling isn’t even needed for very long. Everyone has anxious feelings at some point or another. Having someone outside, like a counselor listening can offer a sense of comfort and help us get things back on track. Big test to take, don’t think you studied enough (that can be a personal stressor itself) … anxiety is through the roof. Maybe there’s a job or college interview, or meeting with someone you’ve never met before—major anxiety. Forgot a bill that had to be paid two weeks ago, even more anxiety. Having nightmares or flashbacks, or feelings like everyone is going to hate us when we walk into a room, these are feelings that would truly benefit seeking a counselor who can help us find resources and ideas to resolve these and other traumatic events going on in our lives. The overall anxiety may not be as concerning as the way we deal with and handle it. Working with a counselor can help us find the approach that works for our individual experience, so these and other circumstances don’t happen or feel as overwhelming. If we find ourselves stressing, unable to sleep or eat without feeling ill, our thoughts are going fast and not slowing down to a speed we are comfortable with---it may be time to reach out to a counselor. Counselors are trained to be able to reach out to even the toughest of clients and help them work toward finding solutions. Challenges and doubts aside, working with a counselor can help you feel validated and find ways to manage your symptoms in a way that is tailored for you and your individual personality. Reaching out to a counselor can provide unconditional positive regard, challenge as needed and help us find solutions leading to a path of hope and accomplishment. An important thing to keep in mind, a counselor can only offer so much, it is going to take commitment, perseverance on our part. By wanting to change, taking the course of action needed, and be actively engaged with our counselor will hopefully help us find the resolutions needed to end the anxiety. Options to help anxiety: Easy 5-minute relaxation ideas: Grounding— helps rejuvenate a person’s energy after experiencing things like flashbacks, challenging or negative emotions. This practice can help you refocus away from what you’re feeling and rechannel to what’s happening in the present moment. I saw this picture as a perfect visual for grounding. Just like a tree uses its roots to stay strong (grounded), we can use grounding to get back to the moment at hand, and fell strong again to conquer whatever is disrupting our life. For some helpful examples of grounding/meditation check out: https://www.livingwell.org.au/well-being/mental-health/grounding-exercises/ One of my favorite grounding techniques is called the 5,4,3,2,1. First, you count backwards starting with 5 and find 5 things you see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. Deep breathing— Another short practice we can resort to when we are feeling anxious or a situation is making us feel stressed, or upset we need to take a break. Whether we step away or just mentally take a 5-minute escape, it really doesn’t matter. When we are anxious our nerves are working overtime. We need to step back from whatever we’re doing and take some deep breaths. Taking those deep breaths can not only give a break from whatever is working us up at the time, but it can help our nervous system calm down as well. Hopefully this will reduce our tension and anxiety, which will also help our mood. Check out this website for plenty of ideas for deep breathing exercises: https://www.verywellmind.com/abdominal-breathing-2584115 Thinking about settings like these or ones that make us relax can help us absorb the deep breathing to a deeper sense and feel more at ease. Meditation—Meditation can work for many people, including those dealing with mental health issues. Meditation can help us relax and work on reducing our stress. It can be practiced pretty much anywhere. Meditation is simple to incorporate into our everyday life, no matter how hectic our schedules can be. Whether ten minutes or an hour, it will offer the opportunity for us to disengage from the anxious and stressful thoughts, and better control our mood. Meditation is simple and anyone can practice it, at home, in school, even in the car. Over time, meditation can gradually help with emotional regulation, mood, and stress. https://insighttimer.com/meditation-topics/anxiety Some of my favorite meditations, after repeated practice, help deeply with anxiety. Two of my top picks are any by DavidJi and Andrea Wachter, both found on insighttimer.org. They have a free plan (highly recommended) or if you’d rather, they have a full subscription you can sign up for. Either way, I hope you check it out! You will be on your way to a more relaxed you! Walking/Exercise- getting away and outside can do amazing thing for people’s mood and even wake you up. Whether it’s a stroll in the backyard or a longer walk down a beautiful trail a change of scenery can help release tension and anxiety. Even temporarily getting away from our stressors by taking a walk, can get us away from the cycle of negative thoughts we’ve been experiencing. https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/managing-anxiety/exercise-stress-and-anxiety https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495 Journaling—whether it’s a short note or a journal entry that could be considered a small book like I’ve been known to do, taking the time to write down our thoughts, frustrations and goals can be a huge relief. Keeping a daily journal can seriously reduce stressors, or help us set goals. Jotting down a few things we are grateful for will put a completely different spin on the way we approach things. Talking with a friend- Those people you have that you can call anytime to talk to, vent with or just hang out with when you are feeling down. These people can be the best resources for feeling better under most situations we find ourselves in. Give yourself a mental makeover-Another key to unraveling our twisted thoughts and break down those bad beliefs is self-care. Whether we practice any one or all these ideas or take up a new one. We need to give ourselves daily doses of mental/relaxation. Whether it’s taking a speed nap, coloring, taking pictures or listening to music, whatever we can do to help us relax. Find the time to make it happen. The more the thoughts in our head are aligned with what we believe in a more positive light, the more balanced and healthier our lives can be. When anxiety or any other stressor get in our way, if we do our best to stay calm, remember the things in this article and reach out to a trusted counselor for some amazing collaborating and resolutions, we will be on our way to happier, calmer lives. Just take it one step at a time and don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Anxiety can be nature’s way of telling us to slow down and relax, or it can be the result of other more situational events. As many people know, anxiety is a feeling that makes us feel things like uneasiness, panic with a rapid heartbeat and increased alertness. Anxiety can be a normal reaction to everyday stressors such as an interview or even traffic jams. On the other hand, anxiety can be the result of a traumatic event that we experienced or an underlying disorder that is displayed by excessive worrying, insomnia, and other emotions that alter our daily activities. This is when its time to talk to a doctor or seek assistance from a counselor. How can I minimize my anxiety? Should I reach out to a counselor? Sometimes people don’t like the idea of therapy. We don’t like to think about the idea of opening up to someone else, a stranger, about our deepest thoughts, concerns, or troubles. However, I think if there is something bothering you, you’ve consulted your bestie, your family or anyone else you would normally go to for advice, and you can’t seem to shake the anxiety or the feelings that come along with it, why not reach out to a counselor for some guidance. Emotions and troubles can build up, go away for a while, and come back, especially feelings that come along with anxiety and depression. Yes, we may start out with situational anxiety, or we can feel as though we have had it all our memorable lives. That is why finding a counselor who can offer a safe environment to actively listen without judgement and help us create an array of possibilities. The worst thing that could happen is we decide we’re not comfortable with the situation, however we have collaborated and come up with some more ideas to incorporate into our toolboxes. Another idea, we can try to work with this person a little longer, find a different counselor and we can be on our way to releasing some of these pent-up emotions and create a different way to deal with our anxiety. Maybe the anxiety we’re experiencing was caused by a traumatic or painful event. Talking with someone who can help us come up with doable options to work through your anxiety, (fill in the blank with concern here) and they can help you develop various possibilities to deal with your worries. Counselors are awesome at helping you come up with some very cool ideas to ease some of your stressors and guide you through the entire process. Many times, counseling isn’t even needed for very long. Everyone has anxious feelings at some point or another. Having someone outside, like a counselor listening can offer a sense of comfort and help us get things back on track. Big test to take, don’t think you studied enough (that can be a personal stressor itself) … anxiety is through the roof. Maybe there’s a job or college interview, or meeting with someone you’ve never met before—major anxiety. Forgot a bill that had to be paid two weeks ago, even more anxiety. Having nightmares or flashbacks, or feelings like everyone is going to hate us when we walk into a room, these are feelings that would truly benefit seeking a counselor who can help us find resources and ideas to resolve these and other traumatic events going on in our lives. The overall anxiety may not be as concerning as the way we deal with and handle it. Working with a counselor can help us find the approach that works for our individual experience, so these and other circumstances don’t happen or feel as overwhelming. If we find ourselves stressing, unable to sleep or eat without feeling ill, our thoughts are going fast and not slowing down to a speed we are comfortable with---it may be time to reach out to a counselor. Counselors are trained to be able to reach out to even the toughest of clients and help them work toward finding solutions. Challenges and doubts aside, working with a counselor can help you feel validated and find ways to manage your symptoms in a way that is tailored for you and your individual personality. Reaching out to a counselor can provide unconditional positive regard, challenge as needed and help us find solutions leading to a path of hope and accomplishment. An important thing to keep in mind, a counselor can only offer so much, it is going to take commitment, perseverance on our part. By wanting to change, taking the course of action needed, and be actively engaged with our counselor will hopefully help us find the resolutions needed to end the anxiety. Options to help anxiety: Easy 5-minute relaxation ideas: Grounding— helps rejuvenate a person’s energy after experiencing things like flashbacks, challenging or negative emotions. This practice can help you refocus away from what you’re feeling and rechannel to what’s happening in the present moment. I saw this picture as a perfect visual for grounding. Just like a tree uses its roots to stay strong (grounded), we can use grounding to get back to the moment at hand, and fell strong again to conquer whatever is disrupting our life. For some helpful examples of grounding/meditation check out: https://www.livingwell.org.au/well-being/mental-health/grounding-exercises/ One of my favorite grounding techniques is called the 5,4,3,2,1. First, you count backwards starting with 5 and find 5 things you see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. Deep breathing— Another short practice we can resort to when we are feeling anxious or a situation is making us feel stressed, or upset we need to take a break. Whether we step away or just mentally take a 5-minute escape, it really doesn’t matter. When we are anxious our nerves are working overtime. We need to step back from whatever we’re doing and take some deep breaths. Taking those deep breaths can not only give a break from whatever is working us up at the time, but it can help our nervous system calm down as well. Hopefully this will reduce our tension and anxiety, which will also help our mood. Check out this website for plenty of ideas for deep breathing exercises: https://www.verywellmind.com/abdominal-breathing-2584115 Thinking about settings like these or ones that make us relax can help us absorb the deep breathing to a deeper sense and feel more at ease. Meditation—Meditation can work for many people, including those dealing with mental health issues. Meditation can help us relax and work on reducing our stress. It can be practiced pretty much anywhere. Meditation is simple to incorporate into our everyday life, no matter how hectic our schedules can be. Whether ten minutes or an hour, it will offer the opportunity for us to disengage from the anxious and stressful thoughts, and better control our mood. Meditation is simple and anyone can practice it, at home, in school, even in the car. Over time, meditation can gradually help with emotional regulation, mood, and stress. https://insighttimer.com/meditation-topics/anxiety Some of my favorite meditations, after repeated practice, help deeply with anxiety. Two of my top picks are any by DavidJi and Andrea Wachter, both found on insighttimer.org. They have a free plan (highly recommended) or if you’d rather, they have a full subscription you can sign up for. Either way, I hope you check it out! You will be on your way to a more relaxed you! Walking/Exercise- getting away and outside can do amazing thing for people’s mood and even wake you up. Whether it’s a stroll in the backyard or a longer walk down a beautiful trail a change of scenery can help release tension and anxiety. Even temporarily getting away from our stressors by taking a walk, can get us away from the cycle of negative thoughts we’ve been experiencing. https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/managing-anxiety/exercise-stress-and-anxiety https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495 Journaling—whether it’s a short note or a journal entry that could be considered a small book like I’ve been known to do, taking the time to write down our thoughts, frustrations and goals can be a huge relief. Keeping a daily journal can seriously reduce stressors, or help us set goals. Jotting down a few things we are grateful for will put a completely different spin on the way we approach things. Talking with a friend- Those people you have that you can call anytime to talk to, vent with or just hang out with when you are feeling down. These people can be the best resources for feeling better under most situations we find ourselves in. Give yourself a mental makeover-Another key to unraveling our twisted thoughts and break down those bad beliefs is self-care. Whether we practice any one or all these ideas or take up a new one. We need to give ourselves daily doses of mental/relaxation. Whether it’s taking a speed nap, coloring, taking pictures or listening to music, whatever we can do to help us relax. Find the time to make it happen. The more the thoughts in our head are aligned with what we believe in a more positive light, the more balanced and healthier our lives can be. When anxiety or any other stressor get in our way, if we do our best to stay calm, remember the things in this article and reach out to a trusted counselor for some amazing collaborating and resolutions, we will be on our way to happier, calmer lives. Just take it one step at a time and don’t be afraid to reach out for help.
