Anxiety…What Can Help
There’s lots of good advice around about how to deal with anxiety. Top on the list are usually things like eat and sleep well, make time to unwind, time for recreation and hobbies and good social connections. All of these things are great and things I work on in a big picture sense. But today I wanted to share some of the more immediate things that have helped me to manage anxiety in the front line of day to day life.
I hope you find them useful and that you’ll share what has helped you.
1. Reducing Mental Input
I’ve had to make a conscious decision to give my brain a rest rather than constantly taking in new input. This means not checking news or social media when I’m in a queue or waiting for someone, and sometimes walking without a podcast or audiobook. It also means not checking email if I don't have time to respond - otherwise it just adds to the unclosed loops in my head. These choices (although I don't make them consistently or perfectly) help me feel more grounded and allow my mind some down time to process what’s already in there.
2. Sharing What’s Going On
In my experience, a great way to short circuit the tendency to second guess things is to share them with someone else. It doesn't have to be a long, deep and meaningful conversation, just a quick chat to bounce something off a friend. I’ve found that when I do that it instantly gives me perspective, and almost always helps me to let go of the issue and move on.
3. Making A Night Time Agreement
I've had to make an agreement with myself that ‘night time is not thinking time’. I actually say that to myself when my mind gets busy at night. I get tempted to think I can figure things out in the quiet of night, but it is not true. In fact, it's the time when I’m least likely to think well, and the time when I’m most likely to ruminate and get stuck in loops of catastrophising.
4. Calming My Body
When I’m feeling stressed and close to overwhelm, ‘thinking’ strategies aren't so useful because the thinking part of our brain is less available (hence I can't find the car in the carpark…). It’s been hugely helpful to me to learn that at these times I can turn down my stress levels by using my body's parasympathetic nervous system. This sends a message to the limbic brain (which controls things like our heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels) that we are ok and dont need to be so wound up.
There are many ways you can do this. I’m going to share 2 from a book called Replenish by Lisa Grace Byrne.
Deep Breathing
If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard about this before but assumed it was just one of those things that sound good but doesn't make any real difference. If so, let me share that it has worked for me and may help you too.
There are 2 things to know. First, you need to breathe using your nose (not your mouth). Second, you want to let your stomach relax and expand so that your breathing is full and deep. This sends air down into the lower parts of your lungs, sending a signal to your limbic brain to release oxytocin which relaxes you and inhibits the production of stress hormones.
Scents
This is another one I’d heard of but didn't think was ‘my thing’. It works because your olfactory nerve is hard wired into your limbic brain. That means that smelling anything with a high concentration of aromatic molecules (ideally something pleasant!) will stimulate the limbic area of your brain and shift it into calm. Some people enjoy essential oils, but you could just use a nice hand cream that smells good, herbs or whatever suits you best.
5. Slowing Down
When I get anxious, I often speed up. It’s been helpful to me to take Drew Insalada’s advice in his book Seven Percent Slower at these times and consciously choose to slow things like my walking pace and my actions. This signals to my body that I’m calm rather than reinforcing the stress signal.
What about you?
How do you tackle anxiety?