Being at peace can be hard, especially when you find yourself anxious over many things. In fact, the feeling of anxiety in our body could sometimes even feel paralyzing. Some of us just try to ignore it and carry on with our day. But it is often times difficult to ignore. It feels like something is constantly nagging at you. In fact, if we generally just go through life distracting ourselves from the anxiety, there may be some temporary relief, but the anxiety doesn’t go away.
Here, you can gain some tools for addressing anxiety:
I. Being Mindful.
It is important to listen to what is going on in your body. Feelings of anxiety could have an effect on the body, such as having difficulty sleeping or difficulty staying asleep, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or feeling tense in the body. Feelings of anxiety can also impact your relationship with your loved ones, such as getting easily irritated or snapping at our loved ones.
2. Understanding.
It is important to understand what situation led to the onset of your increased anxiety. If there is a specific situation that led to the onset of your anxiety, it may be that you never got to fully make sense of that situation. Or maybe you have been living with anxiety most of your life and can’t particularly think of a given situation that led to your anxiety. There might be certain things that you are already trying in order to deal with your anxiety, such as by talking with your family and friends or exercising or watching funny videos.
Sometimes people also use things that could bring temporary relief such as shopping, eating sugary or salty food, or using drugs. It is important to examine if the things you are using to address the anxiety is actually healthy or if it is harmful either in the short term or in the long term. If what you have been doing is not working or if it is harmful either in the short term or in the long term, it might be time to learn new ways of dealing with anxiety in a way that is not harmful to you.
3. Putting your anxiety into words.
Have you noticed that when you are able to talk to someone who is attentive and compassionate in listening to your bad day that you just end up feeling better? Even if, that person did not necessarily take away your problems? Your anxiety could feel like a big massive mountain until it has been put into words and shared with someone who listens attentively and with compassion.
Here are some ways of putting one’s anxiety into words:
I feel anxious when my productivity is low because I am afraid of what my boss might say.
I feel anxious when I miss my childrens’ school events because I don’t want to be that kind of dad.
4. Taking Action.
Taking action can look different for each individual depending on one’s needs, interests, and time.
Here are a few ways of taking action:
Exercise: Exercise by doing something you actually enjoy, such as walking, swimming, or hiking. Team up with someone to exercise so that you can keep each other motivated and accountable. Weekly exercise is not only effective for improving physical health, but also for your mental health as well.
Relaxation: If you enjoy playing an instrument, you could take a few minutes daily to strum your guitar or play the piano. Other alternatives for relaxation is gardening, playing crossword puzzles, cooking, meditating on scripture, or dancing. You can also find other tips here.
Community: Being a part of something bigger than yourself can bring about connection, purpose and meaning in your life. You may decide to become active in a community that has the same values or goals as you do. Example of community life could be joining the choir at your church, joining a community of runners, starting a new hobby, such as signing up for Zumba classes or Kayaking classes.
Seeking Professional Help: It is important to discuss with your MD about the options to address your anxiety, such as by obtaining therapy, anxiety medication or both therapy and medication. With the help of a therapist, you can gain awareness about your anxiety, learn practical relaxation techniques, and learn to change the inaccurate or unhelpful thoughts that may be impacting your anxiety.
In Summary: Anxiety can lead people to feel restless, irritated, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and more. Some of the tools for addressing anxiety is being mindful, understanding your anxiety, putting your anxiety into words and by taking action. Taking action could include a combination of things such as exercising, practicing relaxation techniques, being a part of a community and seeking professional help. Forms of treatment for anxiety could include therapy or medication or both.
Should you have any questions regarding my services to deal with anxiety, you can reach me at sherin@catholictherapistcenter.com to schedule a free initial consult.
Disclaimer: The content on this website is not medical advice or treatment. Please seek your physician with any questions related to your medical condition. The content and the resources provided on this website should not be used to substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified therapists.