Anxiety and how to cope
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is the persistent and intense fear and worry about the cares of life. We have all been acquainted with anxiety in one capacity or another during our lifetime. However, when worry becomes consistent and all-consuming, it begins to degrade our quality of life.
How does anxiety manifest?
It is important to recognize the signs of anxiety and how it may present itself uniquely in your life. In a general sense anxiety is often characterized by feelings of tension, irritation, an inability to concentrate, fatigue, or difficulty with sleep. Anxiety can be a bit more nuanced and in behaviors such as being overly critical of yourself, difficulty making decisions, headaches, nausea, or a perpetual state of discontentment. Given the demands of our society, and the expectations that we put on ourselves, it can be easy to dismiss or overlook some of these behaviors or physical ailments and attribute them to other factors however, conducting an emotional check-in with yourself and examining the difference in your mood state can provide awareness into the fact that you may be suffering from unmanaged anxiety.
Are there ways to treat anxiety through mindfulness and self-acceptance?
So exactly how do we manage our anxiety once we’ve recognized and acknowledged that we are experiencing it? One of my “go-to” methods is to be more intentional about affirming myself and practicing self-acceptance through mindfulness. What seems to be quintessential to the anxious mind is that it in a state of constant movement. Whether your anxiety makes you busier than the energizer bunny or it debilitates you into frozen unproductivity one thing is true of both is that the mind is constantly being bombarded with a cascade of thoughts and has very few moments of quiet. I recognize those moments of anxiety for myself and I find that often when I am not managing my anxiety well my inner critic becomes a lot louder and a lot harsher in her criticisms.
When I recognize those moments, I become a bit more intentional about practicing self-acceptance and I do this through a particular mindfulness exercise. I go to my safe place, we all have that place whether in our homes, car, or some physical destination, where we feel at peace and can escape the world. My safe place is my shower. I bring elements that appeal to my 5 senses into my safe space that helps to ground me. I have Bath & Body Works spearmint and eucalyptus candle that I light because I enjoy watching the flicker of the flame, and the smell soothes my body. I turn on the water because the sound of cascading water calms me while the powerful force of the shower head kneads the anxiety out of my skin. Once I’ve taken a few deep breaths I proceed to affirm myself with the exercise I’ve included for you below. I encourage you to find your own safe space and to use this mindfulness exercise to affirm yourself to better manage your anxiety.
If you need more assistance with managing your anxiety it’s worth considering reaching out to a professional counselor. We here at FullScope Counseling would be happy to help take back the power over your life and you can do so by contacting our office to set up an appointment.
