7 Tips on Overcoming Anxiety
By: Christine Hammond LMHC
The other day I was in the dentist office. Within minutes of
being placed in the chair, the hygienist’s gloved fingers were inside my mouth.
There was an immediate emotional reaction of anxiety as I tried to divert my
thoughts from biting her fingers. (Yes, even therapists have strange phobias.)
Fortunately, that same week a client presented with severe
anxiety so the steps for overcoming an attack were in my mind. Here is what I
did to calm down in the moment:
1.
Be
aware. Anxiety can manifest in different ways. There are physical
symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, sweaty palms, tightness
in the chest, and a knot in the stomach. And there are mental symptoms such as
foggy thinking, confusion, obsessive thinking and racing thoughts. Become aware
of the early signs of anxiety before it reaches an attack.
2.
Welcome
the feeling. Instead of becoming anxious about being anxious
which only increases the tension, see the anxiety as a friendly reminder.
Sometimes the uneasiness is there to warn a person of a potential danger. Fear
often begins as apprehension so this is the time to welcome the feeling, not
fight it. It is much easier to discern the reason for the anxiety when the
reaction is treated with calmness.
3.
Look,
listen, and observe. Pay attention to the environmental surroundings
at the first sign of anxiousness. Look for a potential trigger or a warning
sign of something harmful. Listen for anything out of sorts or a noise that
might have activated the reaction. And observe the other people in the room to
see if their behavior sparked a response. Store this information away for
later; don’t try to overanalyze the anxiety in the moment.
4.
Become
present. One of the tools of mindfulness is learning how to become
present in a given moment. Focus on breathing deeply, filling the lungs up with
air, and releasing every drop of breath. Allow the breath to travel throughout
the body finding areas of tension. Focus on releasing that stress with each
breath.
5.
Good
self-talk. As the breathing slows the heart rate, channel thoughts to
sayings like, “This moment will pass,” “I can handle this,” and “I’ll figure it
out later.” Taking a break from any analysis frees up the mind to focus on
reducing the anxiousness. Distraction is another effective method. Think of a
calming place and imagine being there.
6.
Return
to moment. As soon as the anxiousness passes, quickly return back to
the moment and become aware of the surroundings. Reengage in activities or
conversation so the disruption is minimized for now. Most likely others won’t
even notice the anxious moment.
7.
Evaluate
experience. Later in the day take a few minutes to evaluate
the anxiety and relive the moment. Was the trigger a warning signal? Did it
bring back a memory? How long did it take to reset the emotions? Was there a
residual effect from the occurrence? This information is valuable and unique to
each person, event or circumstance.
To reduce these anxious reactions going forward, it is
important to properly evaluate each event. For me, my experience with a dental
office is something of a running joke with my dentist. It actually stems from a
traumatic incident that happened over 20 years ago. Fortunately, with the help
of professional counseling the pieces were put together and the attacks have
greatly minimized.
To schedule an appointment with Christine Hammond, please
call our office at 407-647-7005.
