AAW
Anxiety-Anxious-Worried
Many of us had BIG hopes for what 2020 would look like. The year of clear vision many openly proclaimed. What we did not know is every system we have come to know as normal would be disrupted. Including our home life, and surely, we didn’t expect change coming in the form of a pandemic.
What is anxiety? Anxiety is an emotion characterized by tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. Anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry.
What is Anxiousness? The active form of anxiety. Physical symptoms may include muscle tension and pain, blurred vision, intense desire to escape, heart racing, palpitations, and chest pain or tightness, chills, diarrhea, dry mouth, avoidance, nausea, and dizziness, shaking, crying, headaches, a lump in the throat, tingling and shortness of breath, sweating and trembling of voice. Cognitive symptoms may include negative beliefs strongly held about inadequacy in social and or performance-related situations. Negative biases which are tendencies to discount positive social encounters and magnify the social abilities of others. Negative thoughts include automatic negative evaluations about yourself in social performance and related situations.
For example, you start a new job or arrive on the first day of a new class. The instructor or manager asks everyone to introduce themselves to the group. Someone with a social anxiety disorder may start to have negative thoughts such as, “Everyone else looks so much more relaxed,” “What am I saying something dumb?” or “What if everyone notices my voice is shaking?” These are light cases of anxiety. Escalating anxiety, anxiousness, and worry may cause the eroding of your self-esteem over time and the ability to function daily.
Behavioral symptoms may include social anxiety disorder also act in certain ways. Fear is the driving force choosing or avoiding rather than actual preferences, desires, or ambitions. Behavioral Symptoms include avoidance, safety behaviors – limiting social or performance experiences. Leaving or escaping from a feared social or performance situation. For example, dropping a class to avoid a presentation or tuning a promotion down requires increased social performance demands.
If you subscribe to biblical scripture, you may be familiar with Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Or 2Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind.” And yet feel anxious, you may now find yourself feeling guilty. Guilt can cause one not to reach out for support and or professional help from a coach or counselor. Cultural norms may also feed guilt and shame.
There is no shame in needing assistance. This year we all have been presented with deep-rooted triggers that were suppressed. Be it racism, health, economics, or all three. We all have been challenged to reflect on imbued fears and concerns. If your anxiety is sporadic and getting in the way of your focus or tasks, there are some quick natural remedies to include with your spiritual and uplifting affirmations:
If you are worried about an upcoming event, you may notice the short-lived symptoms and usually subside after the anticipated event occurs.
Question your thought pattern
Negative thoughts can take root in your mind and distort the severity of the situation. One way is to challenge your fears, ask if they are true, and see where you can take back control.
Practice focused, deep breathing.
Try breathing in for 4 counts and breathing out for 4 counts for 5 minutes total. By evening out your breath, you will slow your heart rate, which should help calm you down.
The 4-7-8 technique is also known to help anxiety. Click Here for breathwork videos.
Use aromatherapy
Whether they’re in oil form, incense, or a candle, scents like lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood can be very soothing.
Aromatherapy is thought to help activate certain receptors in your brain, potentially easing anxiety.
Go for a walk or do 15 minutes of yoga.
Sometimes, the best way to stop anxious thoughts is to walk away from the situation. Taking some time to focus on your body, and not your mind may help relieve your anxiety. This may also include spiritual practices.
Write down your thoughts.
Writing down what makes you anxious gets it out of your head and can make it less daunting. Paper will not harm or laugh or judge you for feeling the way you feel.
These relaxation tricks are particularly helpful for those who experience anxiety sporadically. They may also work well with GAD – Generalized Anxiety Disorder when they are in a bind too!
However, if you suspect you have GAD, quick coping methods should not be the only kind of treatment you employ. You will want to find long-term strategies to help lessen the severity of symptoms and even prevent them from happening.