One word that we have in common but hardly talk about is anxiety. Yes, we all have this word in common because truthfully, we all have anxiety. Some of us have situational anxiety (such as tests), some may have daily anxiety. No matter the case, this is a real thing that affects thousands daily.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is an emotion (often nervousness or fear) that has physical and/or behavioral responses. I listed above different types of anxiety, listed below some common causes of anxiety:
- Work-related stress
- Trauma
- Finances
- Medical concerns
- Substance abuse, etc.
Personally, I get anxious when I have to speak in public, and in uncontrollable situations (certain people driving me around, flying, swimming). When I feel a situation is not in my control, I become anxious. It is normal for everyone to have some level of anxiety, because if not that means you are completely fearless. So this is not to say that you should not have anxiety, but if it affects your work, home life, peace of mind, relationships and your ability to simply enjoy life, then it may raise some concern.
What Can I do to Overcome My Anxiety?
Honestly, we will always have some level of anxiety, but to reduce it or overcome the triggers that affect you daily, I have some tips for you below:
- Therapy: as a therapist in training I will always ask what have you tried and if that hasn’t worked, then seeking therapy may help understand those triggers, how they were planted, and how to overcome them.
- Exposure: this is actually a technique done in therapy. Exposure is what it says; you are gradually exposed to that fear (flying, swimming) in moderation, in attempts to reduce and possibly eliminate that fear.
- Deep Breathing: quick test, how are you breathing now? Many of us do not take time to breath deeply. This is an intervention I use ALL the time, especially with my kids. If my son stomps his toe, or gets angry quick, my first response is “breathe, breathe, breathe.” Deep breathing causes your heart rate to slow down, which helps you to recenter (or ground) yourself. This is a very healthy technique that releases those necessary endorphins to bring you back to the previous state of calmness. This works with my 6 year old son every time!
- Yoga. Yoga is everything!!! Yoga has so many life sessions for the mind and the body. When you think about relaxation, grounding, endorphins, stress relief, yoga fits the bill. Try fitting yoga into your schedule as this major stress reliever will have you feeling amazing. In addition, there is a new type of yoga (not that new) called trauma focused yoga that I had the pleasure of learning about that is amazing as well (I will talk about this another time).
- I discovered (yesterday actually) this app called Liberate. Liberate is a new meditation app solely for people of color. Here is the link: https://liberatemeditation.com/
Today is World Mental Health Day so I wanted to open this discussion with you all as we should take better care of our mental health. Have you tried any of the tips listed? If you haven’t then give one a try, and if so, comment below on what has worked for you.
Written by: Kasey King