Anxiety Creates Anxiety
Do These Three Things Instead
So, you’ve had a diagnosis of anxiety. Those physical symptoms all make sense. You know what’s “wrong” with you. You take the opportunity to become an expert and read up on as many anxiety-related books and posts as you can to help you better understand it all. But what happens? You are immersing yourself in anxiety. Anxiety makes you anxious.
So, what can you do?
Put the book down.
Close the laptop.
Hide your mobile phone.
Here are 3 things that can help.
- Go outside
I’ve included this at the top of my list because for me it was the thing that helped the most when I was in the deep dark depths of the doldrums. I had little energy. I could manage a walk, but running was out of the equation. Being outside in the garden helped. Pulling weeds, or just sitting there letting the wind graze my skin. Never underestimate the power of fresh air. It is a highly effective anxiety-management tool and doesn’t require much input from the user.
The Japanese advocate forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, as a way to de-stress.
Shinrin = forest
Yoku = bath
Shinrin translates as forest and yoku is bath. The idea is simple. Just be. Just exist. Be present in nature and unplug from all modern distractions. Two-hour guided experiences are not uncommon with shinrin-yoku, but even as little as 10 minutes alone in nature can help lift your mood. You don’t even need to venture into a forest. See my example about weeding. It’s almost instant. Let the breeze wash over you.
Of course, adding movement to your daily dose of fresh air is also beneficial. Go for a walk. Like running? Try that out. Spend some time alone, or in the company of someone whose company is not an added stressor. Find the freshest air possible, away from busy roads and factory pollution. Your body and mind will thank you for it.
2. Shift your focus to the current moment
Anxiety arises when you worry about the unknown. Perhaps you are thinking of what people think of you or worrying about the future. You can’t ever truly know the answer to either. So, why churn those thoughts over and over? Accept things as they are. Shift your focus to the current moment. Practicing mindfulness is a great way to do this. Examples of mindfulness could be:
- Focus on the breath
Example:
Upon waking, sit up in bed and close your eyes again. How is your breathing? Steady or laboured? Do you feel calm, or have you woken up feeling panicked? It’s worth noting that cortisol (the stress hormone) levels can be higher in the morning. Labelling the feeling can help. It shows awareness and gives you control. Take a deep breath through your nose. Release the breath. Breathe as deeply as you can, in and out through the nose. Notice your abdomen expanding as you take a full breath in, and releasing as you exhale. How do you feel now? Calm or jittery? Continue for as long as you need to.
- Eat mindfully
Example:
I once went to a mindfulness seminar with a Buddhist monk at the local university. One of the activities we undertook was to take a raisin and consider it mindfully. We were instructed to roll it around our palms and feel the food. Then we were allowed to eat it. A raisin isn’t my idea of a good time, but the exercise was worthwhile because it was a lesson in mindfulness. You don’t have to go as far as that. However, when you chew, chew mindfully. Don’t eat your breakfast while scrolling on Facebook, swallowing in big lumps, and not noticing what you are eating. Chew. Taste. Your digestive system will thank you for it.
- Engage your senses
What can you see? What can you hear? What can you smell? What can you taste? What can you feel?
Example:
I like to pick an album to listen to — I know, how retro? Listen to the words, listen to the music. What instruments can you pick out?
3. Make time for your worries
Set aside some time and challenge your worries. Are they legitimate? You don’t have to believe your thoughts, even though they originated in your head. Automatic Negative thoughts are not necessarily true. Follow these steps:
- Grab a piece of paper and a pen
- Set a timer for 15 minutes
- Write down all the things that are bothering you
- When the timer goes off, examine those thoughts. How do they look in black and white? How do you feel about them now?
I deal with Automatic Negative Thoughts in my story Mind The Ants which you can read here.
Let me know what you think. Do you have any hints that could help others? I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks For Reading
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Originally published on 28 December 2023.