Your 5 Step Toolkit for Overcoming Anxiety
Here are the five steps you will take when you start to feel anxiety taking over your thoughts
BECOME AWARE, AND NAME IT.
Practice becoming aware of exactly when the anxiety starts to bubble up. It may be a feeling in your body, or thoughts in your mind ; either way, you've got to immediately label it as soon as you notice. This means that if you catch that feeling or negative thinking - stop whatever it is you're doing - and say to yourself (out loud if you can) : "This is anxiety."
When you're experiencing anxiety what that means is that your prefrontal cortex - the part of your brain responsible for logic and reasoning - is going to shut down. In other words, you're not going to be thinking very logically or clearly. This is why when we feel really stressed, it can sometimes be hard to communicate or think properly. By becoming aware and naming it, you're going to remember this and know that its time to begin to take out your toolkit to get through this wave of anxious feelings. You're also going to remember that the thoughts, are just thoughts. And because your logic and reasoning isn't available at the moment , your thoughts are likely untrue.
2. DROP INTO THE BODY
Something to note is that your body is controlled by your subconscious mind. This is why when we feel unpleasant emotions, we also feel sensations in our body. It's why our heart rate increases when watching a scary movie, and we can feel tired when overthinking.
When experiencing anxiety, it's important to connect to your body. You can bring some presence and stillness when you:
1. Identify where in the body you feel the anxiety. Do not judge it or label it, simply just observe.
2. Identify at least one place in the body where you feel even a little bit relaxed. This can be anywhere, your toes...your left ear..even your butt.
3. Zoom in on that place where you feel that bit of relaxation, and any time you find yourself focusing on the unpleasant sensations of anxiety..redirect your attention to that place in your body where you feel good.
4. Bonus : See if you can allow that relaxation to spread even bigger to more places of the body.
3. ACCEPT THE DISCOMFORT
This is going to be the most important and effective tool in your tool kit for conquering your anxiety...accepting that it's there. This means accepting the uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and sensations too.
I know, it's like asking you to accept being tortured alive..and it's the opposite of what you want to do. But the truth is, what we resist persists, and the more you try to escape from the anxiety, the louder and stronger it will become. We must not try to ignore our nervous system's false alarm signals. Your brain really thinks it's under threat and shoving it away will only cause it to become more dramatic in an effort to get your attention. Do yourself a favour and practice acceptance of the uncomfortable feelings and thoughts. This takes practice. Bit by bit, you will get there and find that acceptance is your biggest antidote and eventually quickly quiets the anxiety.
But how do you accept it?
You simply allow it to be what it is. Adopt a "so what" mentality. Do not judge, or fight the sensations and thoughts. Let them pass through you. And they will! It will not last.
Taking some deep breaths during this time can also help release the tension in your body and mind, which allows more acceptance. More about that in your next step!
4. SWITCH ON PARASYMPATHETIC
The sympathetic nervous system is one of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating involuntary body functions. The sympathetic nervous system is activated during times of stress or danger, often referred to as the "fight or flight" response. When having anxiety, your sympathetic nervous system is running the show.
When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, it triggers the release of adrenaline and other stress hormones, which can cause several physical responses such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing, dilated pupils, increased blood pressure, and increased blood sugar levels. These responses help prepare the body for action and can be beneficial in certain situations, such as when you need to run away from danger or react quickly to a threat.
To help your brain and body feel safe again, it's important to switch on the parasympathetic response instead. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for promoting relaxation, digestion, and rest. There are several ways you can activate the parasympathetic nervous system such as deep breathing, meditation, somatic work and hypnotherapy.
One really great form of breathing for relaxation is called the double inhale breath. The double inhale breath is a breathing technique that involves taking two quick inhales through the nose, followed by one slow exhale through the mouth. This technique is sometimes called "kapalabhati," which means "skull shining breath" in Sanskrit.
To perform the double inhale breath, follow these steps:
1. Sit comfortably with your spine straight and your hands resting on your knees.
2. Take a deep breath in through your nose.
3. Exhale forcefully through your nose, pulling your navel towards your spine to empty your lungs completely.
4. Inhale quickly and sharply through your nose, filling your lungs about 1/3 full.
5.Without pausing, inhale again quickly and sharply through your nose, filling your lungs about 2/3 full.
6. Exhale slowly and evenly through your mouth, releasing all of the air from your lungs.
7. Repeat the cycle of two quick inhales and one slow exhale for a few breaths.
If you follow by visually learning better, check out my video on the double inhale breath by following me on TikTok or instagram @MINDMAGICSTEPH .
5. STAY THE COURSE
It can be easy to try some things once or twice and then decide to give up. We are used to living in a fast paced society with everything ready for us in seconds. All though you may see improvements right away while using these tools for anxiety, consistency is key in having lasting changes. The more consistent you stay when implementing these techniques, the more your brain is going to rewire those neural pathways from helpless to healing!
YOU GOT THIS!!
If you need some more in depth help, feel free to reach out any time.
And don’t forget…
Your Mind Is Magic.
xo,
Stephanie Jackson, CHT
