7 Practical Ways to Overcome Anxiety
by Cherilyn Schutze
MEd., LPC, CCATP, CGC, EMDR Trained, DNMS Trained
WHEN ANXIETY MANIFESTS ITSELF WITH PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS AND WORRY/THOUGHT LOOPS, THE FIRST THING TO DO IS TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS –BEING IN THE PRESENT.
We can’t live in the past because the past is over, but we can learn from it. We can’t live in the future because it hasn’t happened yet and we don’t have any way of predicting with certainty what is out in front of us. All we have is here and now. If you are living in the past or in the future, you are missing what’s happening right here, right now.
One way to practice mindfulness is through deep breathing exercises. There are various ways of doing this, but I like to start with breathing and counting.
Sit comfortably with your hand on your stomach.
Take a deep breath in through your nose, while counting to 4, making sure your stomach is rising, not your chest. We want the air to go deep into your diaphragm.
Next, hold your breath for a count of 4, then breathe out slowly through your mouth, like blowing out a candle, for a count of 6 or 8.
Do this several times.
This helps by pushing oxygen through your bloodstream and to all your organs and also helps flush out the anxiety hormones like cortisol and adrenaline-those fight, flight or freeze hormones, which then lessens the physical symptoms. When the physical symptoms lessen, the emotional symptoms usually do too.
The other way deep breathing and counting help is that by counting and concentrating on your breath, your brain is distracted from the worry thoughts. It’s difficult for your brain to worry and concentrate on something else at the same time. Which brings me to my next suggestions, which are all geared toward getting out of your emotional mind and into the present-logical brain – and breaks the negative connections.
5 senses grounding as mentioned in one of our first blogs- notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste.The number of each isn’t really important, it’s the act of doing it that’s important.
Here are five more great ways to reduce anxiety which you can practice almost anywhere.
Spell your full name backward. You can try this with any words you want. If your name’s too easy, try spelling other people’s names, sports teams, or your favorite foods. Anything to get your brain doing something else besides ruminating.
Try counting backward from 100 by 3’s. It’s the same principle. If that’s too easy, find a way to make it more difficult. The more challenging it is, the harder your brain has to think, and the harder it is to ruminate.
Talk back to the bully in your head: Name it, remind yourself that just because you think it, doesn’t mean it’s true. DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK!
Make a worry plan. Name your worry, make a plan for how you can handle it and move on. When/if the worry pops up again, remind yourself that you have a plan, and you can handle it. No need to ruminate. Move on –distract. Trust yourself! You’ve got this!
Pay attention to self-judgment. Judging ourselves only serves to increase anxiety and lower self-esteem. This is where a good positive reframe can be really helpful.
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
This quote by Wayne Dyer is one I use often. I like it so much because it applies to many aspects of our lives. In this time of uncertainty with the pandemic, unrest in our own country and throughout the world, we are forced to look at so many things outside of our control, not to mention our own traumas, attachment wounds, and daily life stressors. All of these things are anxiety-provoking. Anxiety can be a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Notice that, and validate yourself when you experience it. When it becomes overwhelming or interferes with your daily life, then notice that, and try the tips I suggested.
If you would like help managing anxiety, please reach out. I would love to help!
