Antidote for Anxiety (part 2)
This is part two of the Antidote to Anxiety series. Here we’re looking at a little bit different framework for understanding anxiety, and some tools that help diminish anxiety.
Before I give you some tools, let’s look at how anxiety presents in most people. Most people describe anxiety as an emotion, coupled with a racing mind, often times with tension in the body. Often times we are told to analyze the racing thoughts in order to deal with anxiety. I’m not sure about you, but when I’m keyed up, my mind is off to the races. Analyzing thoughts is one more thing for me to spin up about. And there is no way I’m going to simply stop feeling anxiety. Our bodies, thoughts, and emotions are in a loop both learning from and feeding one another. No amount of thinking is going to stop that loop.
Disclaimer: no singular blog is going to lay out all there is with regard to anxiety. Nor would any blog be able to give you perfect ways for you to deal with anxiety. Each person is different and unique, and therefore your response to anxiety and your response to coping mechanisms will be different. Try a few of the suggestions on for size and see if any work for you.
Regulating Emotions
Now, as for a little bit different approach: Rather than using the mind to regulate the emotions, we need to use our body to regulate emotions. Think of this way of handling anxiety like a life hack. If we can use our body to trick our brains into thinking we’re relaxed, our body might quiet the brain and soothe the emotions just a bit.
Ice water face bath. It is exactly what it sounds like. Dunk your head in cold water for 30 seconds. This initiates what is known as the diver's response. Ever hear of someone in Minnesota falling through the ice, thought dead, then resuscitated hours later? Well, our bodies know how to keep us alive in such conditions—our heart rate slows, our respiration slows. Those two things in a different context sounds a lot like relaxation. So, you trick your body into thinking it’s relaxed, then your brain and emotions tend to follow.
Paired muscle relaxation. Starting from your toes and working your way up, flex each muscle group for five seconds. After each muscle group, take a diaphragmatic breath. After you make it to your head and flex all your facial muscles, breathe and then scan your body noticing the sensations. This brings you more aware of the safety you have within your own body. It centers you and calms you, bolstering you against the outside world’s threats.
Gross motor state change. This is my favorite and most likely to have coworkers question your sanity if you do it at work. Before reading any more, please commit right now that you’ll go all-in on this. It doesn’t work if you phone it in. Here we go. For 10 seconds jump around, vigorously flap your arms like a bird, kick your feet and bob your head. Then stop and sway ever so slightly side to side while abdominal breathing. Repeat this sequence 3-4x. Then stop and notice all that your body is telling you.
Now these body based coping mechanism are not the type of thing that is going to take from a 10 down to a 1. Instead, they might move you from an 8 to a 6, but that two point difference might be just enough to get you out of fight/flight and bring the rest of your brain back online. In other words, don’t expect a zen trance in doing any one of these, but you might expect a bit less fog and a little more clarity.
If you’re looking for more help dealing with anxiety, or if you’re ready to do a deep dive into the roots of your anxiety, contact me via phone or e-mail.
