Managing anxiety involves a combination of strategies and techniques that can help alleviate symptoms and promote a sense of calm and well-being. But before we dig in, let’s first understand “What is Anxiety” and “What Causes Anxiety”.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal and natural emotion that everyone experiences at times. It’s a feeling of unease, apprehension, or fear about a future event or uncertain outcome. Anxiety becomes a concern when it is excessive, persistent, and interferes with daily functioning and well-being.
Anxiety can manifest in various ways, including physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms.
- Physical Symptoms may include increased heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, sweating, restlessness, and stomach discomfort.
- Cognitive symptoms often involve excessive worry, racing thoughts, difficulty concentrating, fear of the worth outcome, and negative thinking patterns.
- Behavioral symptoms may include avoidance of certain situations, seeking reassurance, irritability, and changes in sleep or appetite patterns.
Anxiety can arise from a variety of sources, such as work-related stress, academic pressure, financial concerns, health issues, relationship problems, or traumatic experiences. It can also be influenced by genetic factors, brain chemistry imbalances, or environmental factors.
We’re not going to get into the various different types of anxiety disorders (Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and others) in this video, aside from acknowledging they exist and can significantly affect a person’s life and may require professional support and treatment.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety can have multiple causes, and it is often a result of a combination of factors. These may range from biological factors, personality traits such as being a perfectionist, having a tendency to overthink, or a low self-esteem. They may also include cognitive factors such as catastrophic thinking, excessive worrying, or having an overall negative outlook.
Environmental; factors are considered a leading cause of anxiety. These may include experiencing some type of trauma, stressful life events (such as the loss of a loved one, divorce, or job loss), physical or emotional abuse, childhood adversity, as well as ongoing chronic stress.
In some cases, certain medications and/or changes in dosage can have side effects such as withdrawal symptoms including anxiety. Always seek the advice of a medical professional when dealing with medications.
It’s important to note that not everyone who experiences these factors will develop anxiety, and the specific causes can vary from person to person. In fact, it’s often a complex interaction of multiple factors that contribute to anxiety.
Substance abuse, including alcohol or even excessive caffein can exacerbate or trigger anxiety symptoms.
Understanding the potential causes of anxiety can be helpful in seeking the support you need for your specific situation. If you’re experiencing significant anxiety symptoms, you may consider seeking professional support and guidance. There are many options available from therapists and counselors, to practitioners of various healing modalities.
Now, let’s take a look at some proven techniques that can be helpful for managing stress associated with anxiety, and then we can explore options for helping to control a specific situation or concern.
- Deep Breathing
- Mindfulness Meditation
- Relaxation Techniques
- Regular Exercise
- Healthy Lifestyle
- Challenge Negative Thoughts
- Time Management
- Social Support
- Seek Professional Help
Practicing these strategies and techniques can certainly help in managing your overall anxiety. But what about situations where you have one specific item, issue, event or situation that is causing an undo level of stress.
When experiencing anxiety about a specific concern, there are several strategies you can use to help gain control over your anxiety. Here are some additional techniques that can be effective:
Identify and Understand Your Anxiety:
- Take some time to clearly identify and define the specific concern that is causing your anxiety. Understanding the root cause of your anxiety can help you address it more effectively.
Educate Yourself:
- Gather information about the concern that is causing your anxiety. Knowledge can help you gain a better understanding of the situation and reduce uncertainty. However, me mindful of not obsessively researching, as it can increase anxiety.
Challenge Your Thoughts:
- Anxiety often involves negative or irrational thoughts. Challenge these thoughts by asking yourself for evidence that supports them. Look for alternative explanations or more balanced perspectives. Replace negative thoughts with more realistic and positive ones.
Problem-Solving:
- If your anxiety is related to a specific problem or concern, engage in problem-solving techniques. Break down the problem into smaller, manageable steps and brainstorm possible solutions. Take action on those steps and monitor your progress.
Create A Plan:
- Develop a plan of action to address your specific concern. Having a structured plan can help you feel more in control and reduce anxiety. Break down the plan into actionable steps and set realistic deadlines for yourself.
Focus on the Present Moment:
- When your mind starts to wander into anxious thoughts about the future, bring your attention back to the present moment. Engage in activities that require your full attention, such as practicing mindfulness or engaging in a hobby.
Practice Relaxation Techniques:
- Use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or mindfulness meditation to calm your mind and body. These techniques can help reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety and promote a sense of calm.
Remember, managing anxiety takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself and don’t hesitate to seek professional help if your anxiety persists or significantly interferes with your daily life.
All of the previously mentioned strategies can be helpful in helping you control anxiety about a specific concern, item, issue, event or situation that is causing an undo level of stress
But what about controlling that anxiety the day of? What’s the one thing I recommend you do before you step on stage to give that speech or perform in public, to meet with someone one-on-one to resolve a conflict, or to simply work through a stressful activity or situation?
According to Dr Wayne Dyers,
“The truth is that there is no actual stress or anxiety in the world; it’s your thoughts that create these false beliefs. You can’t package stress, touch it, or see it. There are only people engaged in stressful thinking.”
That’s a polite way of saying, it’s in your head. More specifically, it’s your subconscious mindset controlling a current activity, event or situation based on some previous activity, experience, or memory.
And while it’s beyond the scope of this topic, the truth is that previous activity, experience, or memory may have absolutely nothing to do with what you’re currently struggling with, aside from the subconscious mind has created an association.
It’s a fight or flight mechanism, it’s your subconscious mind searching the archives of your brain to try to determine, “have I ever been in this situation and what did I do to survive”?
And as Dr Dyer suggests, it’s a false belief. You can’t touch it or see it; you can only experience the result or side effect of the situation. Part of your subconscious mind is out of harmony with the current real-world situation.
The hemispheres of your brain are not congruent or in agreement regarding the given scenario.
Basically, you are not functioning at a level that is often referred to as a “whole-brain state”.
In neuroscience, the brain is composed of various regions that specialize in different functions such as perception, motor control, language processing, and memory. These regions are interconnected and communicate with each other through neural networks.
The activity and synchronization of these networks play a crucial role in cognitive processes and overall brain function. The term “whole-brain state” describes a desirable condition where there is enhanced coherence, connectivity, and integration among different brain regions. It is often associated with increased mental performance, focus, creativity, and overall well-being.
If you’re struggling with a particular activity or situation, chances are your subconscious is not operating at a “whole-brain state”, or not in congruence for that specific scenario. Something in your past, deep within your subconscious is causing you to struggle.
Approaches to achieve a whole-brain state vary and can include practices such as meditation mindfulness, neurofeedback as well as certain forms of exercise or stimulation. It’s important to note that the scientific understanding of achieving and measuring a whole-brain state is still a topic of ongoing research, and claims about specific techniques should be evaluated critically.
Yet, there are many programs and processes that have been successfully proven in real-world scenarios ranging from early childhood education to advanced military training including the Special Forces and Navy Seals.
In his book Brian Gym; Simple Activities for Whole-Brain Learning, Dr Paul Dennison presents a variety of exercises and postures students can use to help re-establish a level of physical balance and mental equilibrium.
As mentioned earlier, many forms of anxiety can be attributed to deep seeded subconscious memories or “associations” with prior activities, events or situations”. As a preferred PSYCH-K facilitator, I work with individuals all the time to assist them in transforming various subconscious anxieties, fears, limiting beliefs and self-doubts to better align with their current personal aspirations, desires and goals.
I’ll leave a link to my website as well as some prior videos about PSYCH-K in the comments below. Feel free to reach out to me for additional information or to schedule a one-on-one appointment.
In the meantime, here is my personal favorite, Do This Every Day” tip to help get through a specifically challenging activity, event, or situation. But remember, this is not a cure to transform whatever it is that is creating this anxiety within your subconscious mindset, this is simply a quick exercise you can use to cope or power through for the day!
Do This Every Day
When your mind starts to wander into anxious thoughts about the activity, event or situation, it’s time to bring your attention back to the present moment. And the best short-term solution that I’ve found is mindfulness mediation.
Mindfulness meditation is a practice that involves intentionally focusing one’s attention on the present moment without judgment. It is rooted in Buddhist traditions but has been adapted and secularized for widespread use in modern society.
During mindfulness meditation, individuals typically find a quiet and comfortable space to sit or lie down. They then direct their attention to their breath, bodily sensations, thoughts, or sounds, depending on the specific instructions given or the technique they prefer. The aim is to observe whatever arises in their experience without getting caught up in or reacting to it. When the mind wanders, practitioners gently bring their attention back to the chosen focal point.
The practice of mindfulness medication cultivates awareness, non-judgmental observation, and acceptance of one’s present-moment experience. It encourages individuals to become more attuned to their thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and the environment, fostering a greater sense of presence and clarity.
Scientific research on mindfulness meditation has grown significantly in recent years and has shown various potential benefits. Regular practice has been associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, improved emotional regulation, increased attention and focus, enhanced self-awareness, and greater overall well-being.
In PSYCH-K®, mindfulness mediation is deeply integrated into several of the balance programs used to assist members with transforming anxieties, fears, limiting beliefs, and self-doubts.
It has also been applied in clinical settings as a complementary approach for managing chronic pain, addiction, and other mental health conditions.
It’s worth noting that mindfulness meditation is a skill that can take time and practice to develop. Many resources are available, including guided meditations, books, apps, and courses, to support individuals in learning and integrating mindfulness into their daily lives.
As mentioned before, this exercise is not necessarily intended to completely change a limiting belief or self-doubt that is causing the anxiety you may be experiencing with all similar activities, events or situations. However, this simple mindfulness mediation technique if done correctly should help resolve some or all of the anxiety associated with this specific scenario.
vThanks for reading, and remember, The Answer is Within You, to Build a Better You, and to Own Your Destiny.
Take Care and God Bless!