Are you anxious about your anxiety?

Over the last two weeks, we have unpacked the physiological side of anxiety (stress) and the cognitive aspect of anxiety (worry). This week, let’s dive into anxiety.

WHAT IS ANXIETY?

Anxiety is the culmination of symptoms from stress and worry. It is a broader and more persistent emotional state characterized by fear, apprehension, or worry about future events, even when there is no immediate threat. It is experienced in both the brain and body and is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, muscle tension, restlessness, sweating, and a sense of impending danger or doom. 

IS ANXIETY HARMFUL?

Anxiety is a normal, adaptive response. It is an emotion that motivates you to take action. When that response becomes prolonged and intense, it can significantly interfere with your daily life. Over 40 million adults in the United States have an anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental health issue.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Because your brain can’t tell the difference between a real and perceived threat, it learns what is dangerous based on your behavior. Anxiety doesn’t feel comfortable so we try to avoid situations that cause it. Unfortunately, this signals to your brain that the threat is real (even when it’s not) which makes you more anxious. 

When it comes to things that aren’t actually dangerous and we avoid the situation, we increase our anxiety level around similar situations in the future.

For example, let’s say social situations make you anxious. You don’t like to feel that way, so when you are uncomfortable in a social situation, you avoid that discomfort by distracting yourself with your phone. Even though it may temporarily feel better, that avoidance tells your brain that social situations are a real danger, which only reinforces your anxiety about social situations. The more you avoid the feeling, the more anxious you feel.

This means if you’re in a situation where you’re anxious and you're tempted to take out your phone to ease the discomfort…don’t.

THIS WEEK’S STRATEGY

Anxiety is your brain’s way of keeping you safe. If the threat is real, like someone chasing you, anxiety is your body’s way of telling you to take action and run.

In most cases the threat is perceived. Your body and brain are in a feedback loop. You can interrupt that loop by simply observing what is happening. The most powerful way to minimize anxiety is to observe and accept it. 

Mindfulness is the skill of learning to sit with your thoughts, feelings, and emotions without judgment. It is the willingness to make space for what you are feeling without trying to change it.

This week, when you feel anxiety creeping in, sit in the suck. Name the emotion, identify where in your body you feel it, and let it be there. Don’t avoid it, rush through it, or beat yourself up for feeling it. Just sit in it.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll give you more ways to cope with stress, worry, and anxiety, but the first step is to sit with it instead of running from it. 

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