Help With Anxiety

Sarah G. McCrory, MS, LPC, RPT

What is Anxiety? 

Anxiety is an intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.

Anxiety can be totally normal in stressful situations such as public speaking or taking a test. Anxiety is only an indicator of underlying issues when feelings become excessive, all-consuming, and interfere with daily living.

Anxiety can feel like a fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, or exhaustion.

Basically- anxiety is fear that is out of control.  My favorite metaphor of anxiety is that of a fire alarm.  When something happens and our fire alarm goes off, that signals our survival brain to kick in and our biological systems go into fight, flight, freeze or fawn.

What’s Happening In My Body When I Feel Anxious? 

Our body has built in systems that keep us safe.  So, when we are in our “fear brain” our body prioritizes survival and some of the “extra stuff” doesn’t happen.  “Extra stuff” like logical thinking (brain fog), considering the consequences of our actions (unwise decision making), digestion (nervous stomach), and emotional regulation (maybe we lose our temper or say something we don’t mean).

So, back to the alarm…if we are in a life or death situation, we need our fear brain to be activated and to respond.  However, if an alarm is going off constantly and there is no fire, then what?  This is what happens with anxiety.  Our brain signals fire when there is no fire….maybe there’s just smoke, or steam, or something red.  Some people’s brains have a super-sensitive alarm system- whether that is because of the environment they grew up in, their particular brain chemicals, or just a personality predisposition- they walk around on high alert with their “fire alarm” going off all the time. 

What Can I Do About My Anxiety? 

If you are experiencing consistent anxiety, there are several practices you can try.  I usually suggest starting with “mindfulness” practices.  Mindfulness is not “emptying your mind,” but rather focusing on the present and being mindful of your surroundings.  Most of the things that give us anxiety are the things that might happen or the things that have happened.  However if you are focusing on your present surroundings, your brain will recognize that your body is not in danger and it can regulate.  Your fear is real and valid, but most of the time, anxiety is trying to either fix something you can’t control or keep something from happening in the future. 

Our brains form connections that become stronger over time.  It’s kind of like a trail in the woods.  If you walk the trail over and over, eventually it’s easy to walk through.  So- the startle to fear response gets stronger over time.  In order for a mindfulness practice to be helpful, we have to practice it over and over, and as time goes on, the trail from startle to mindful becomes more well-worn. 

I love the Mindfulness Coach app and recommend it to everyone.  It’s free and user friendly, and you can DOWNLOAD IT HERE.  It’s not something that would work if you were in the middle of a panic attack (although it wouldn’t hurt), but if you practice during times that you are feeling ok, it can be beneficial.  I suggest that doing a mindfulness practice at the same time every day, whether it’s when you wake up in the morning or before bed, can really help you. 

What’s One Mindfulness Practice I Can Try? 

If you don’t want to go to download the Mindfulness Coach app, here’s an easy practice that you can try on your own. 

Start by taking 3 full and deep breaths (try to breathe into your belly, without raising your shoulders).

Then, continue breathing normally look around you and acknowledge:

·         5 things you can SEE (i.e. tree, truck, plant, water cup, my watch)

·         4 things you can FEEL (i.e. my hair on my neck, the breeze from the fan, my shoes are too tight and the chair underneath me)

·         3 things you can HEAR (i.e. the typing of my computer, the white noise machine, and a lawn mower outside)

·         2 things you can SMELL (i.e. the mint from my essential oil diffuser and coffee)

·         1 thing you can TASTE (i.e. the gum I am chewing)

Then, take several more deep breaths as you conclude the practice.  This simple 5-4-3-2-1 practice to ground you in your present moment should help you to move toward regulating the most overwhelming of emotions.

Final Thoughts

Our emotions have a purpose.  Sometimes when we struggle with anxiety, we get angry with ourselves for the way we feel and may wonder “what is wrong with me?” or “why can’t I get it together?” But the truth is- you are human and you have a right to anything you feel!  If we can approach our feelings with curiosity rather than judgement, that will go a long way toward healthy thinking and healing.

I hope this post helps you learn a bit more about anxiety, and if you’re struggling with it personally, that it points you towards some resources and practices that may help you.  If you’d like to explore your anxiety or other challenges further with a trained professional, I encourage you to reach out to a Licensed Professional Counselor in your area who can help you.  If you’re in the Montgomery, AL area (or live anywhere in AL and are interested in a virtual session), please reach out to me at www.sanctuarycw.com/request-appointment to get connected!