Building an Anxiety Toolbox
There's an immense beauty we get to see in people when they embrace and share the rawness of being human.
Here's my takeaway from the replies I got to the previous blog “Understanding Anxiety”:
everyone who experiences anxiety is relieved to be reminded that they're not alone
we need more awareness around these topics (most replies mentioned people around them who were distant or judgemental or unaware of how to be supportive to loved ones going through a difficult experience)
as much as they suck, challenging experiences like anxiety ultimately become a great reminder of our strength, resilience and ability to survive the storm even when it seems 'impossible'.
In this blog post I'm sharing a few of the tools I’ve found effective to deal with anxiety (remember, different things work for different people so try them out and see how they land for you)
Here are some practices I love:
Slow down the exhales: with anxiety it often feels like the nervous system has forgotten how to go back to relaxation mode. Simply lengthening the exhales a bit more than the inhales (without pushing or straining) can start to trigger your built-in relaxation response
Alternate nostril breathing: i love this one! A simple breathing exercise to help you tap into the relaxation response. I would suggest sticking with it for at least 3-5 minutes
Legs up the wall: on days when stillness feels like a good idea, this is is a great go to and a super soothing pose for the nervous system. I recommend staying for a minimum of 5 minutes (I usually go up to 15 or even 20)
Dance it out: if you're having a day where being still makes it worse, one way to shake off the jitters is to play some fun, uplifting tracks and jump around. A great way to shake some of that anxious energy out of the system
What if vs. What is: a big thing that triggers anxiety is a mental pattern of skipping ahead to the future instead of being in the present moment. Our minds are very talented at coming up with many potential ways in which things can go wrong.
While I'm a big advocate of allowing ourselves to feel what we need to feel, there comes a point when it becomes helpful to compassionately negotiate with and reassure our worries. Every time the mind goes to a place of "what if," we can remind it that there is no factual evidence that that will actually happen. That the only thing that is real is "what is" in this moment.
Retraining that thought pattern can radically shift our experience of anxiety (remember that retraining mental patterns can take some time, be kind to yourself).
We can also use the “what if” scenarios and fear to learn more about our needs. What do we need in this moment to support us to feel safer within the storm? If worst case scenario were to happen, what would it take for us to be okay within that (or the least “not okay” possible for us to be)?
What would help right now? Even if it would help us feel just 1% better?
Getting clear on the underlying unmet needs fueling or aggravated by the feelings of anxiety can be a very empowering and with time liberating experience
L also shared (and gave me permission to share on here) some tips that I really loved and thought you guys might find helpful:
"I find watching TV shows on Netflix helps, eating bananas, waking up early morning and doing yoga"
"scribbling my thoughts onto paper early morning without thinking and also having a gratitude journal"
Are any of these things you already use?
If they're not and you try them, let me know how they go for you.