Anxiety is that crippling surge of fear, nervousness and worry that drowns out any sparkle of joy or relaxation. Feeling safe is a deeply-rooted primal need. Feeling anxious means feeling unsafe, and it rocks us to the very core of our emotional wellbeing. Yet, anxiety has become so commonplace that we almost forget what it feels like to feel safe and relaxed. Stress has become an accepted part of modern life, and the pace at which we live nowadays doesn’t give our bodies and minds a chance to recuperate.
Anxiety is symptom that these stresses are overwhelming us. A trigger can be anything – from the unavoidable daily stresses such as heavy traffic making you late for work, physical stress such as over-exercise and poor diet, as well as personal emotional triggers.
Follow this simple two-step approach to gain the advantage over your anxiety.
Step 1: Acknowledge your feelings
Stress most often comes from our thoughts about events rather than the event itself. The traffic is not causing your stress, it is you thinking about how late it will make you and that you will be in trouble with your boss that is creating the stress response. Your worries about your health in the doctor’s waiting room are being amplified by the wall of ‘deadly disease warning’ posters.
The first step to overcoming anxiety is acknowledging it is there, right there in the present moment:
"Ok, I’m aware I am feeling anxious right now. I acknowledge I’m anxious about my safety due to possible ill health, and these posters on the wall are exaggerating my fears. I’m feeling my heart racing and my palms sweating. I acknowledge what is going on, and I know why – I feel unsafe."
By acknowledging your anxiety, you are halfway there.
Stop 2: Re-training in ‘safe mode’
Our brains like habit. They do what they are repeatedly told to do, even if what they are told is to be fearful and alert to danger. It is little wonder, with our relentless negative TV news and media, that our brains are being trained to stay alert to danger. In order for us to change our feelings, we need to actively and regularly train our bodies and minds to get used to feeling relaxed, to feeling safe. This will help us avoid unleashing the subconscious ‘fight or flight’ stress response to the mildest of triggers.
It is said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So, for 21 days, every time you acknowledge a negative mindset, take the opportunity to give your mind the momentary gift of peace and tranquillity using the mindfulness technique below. After 21 days (or even sooner, if you are receiving a support treatment such as acupuncture), you will notice your brain no longer reacts in terror to every stress trigger.
Instant calm through mindfulness
Meditation is your brain’s Point Zero - when it can rest, pause and recalibrate. Mindfulness mediation is the easiest to do as it simply means bringing your awareness into the present moment, even just for 60 seconds. For example, you are sitting in the doctor’s office as above, waiting for an appointment, and your thoughts are torturing you - but they are only thoughts. They are not a balanced reflection of the true situation. STOP. Stop and become present. This means literally staring at something and simply observing it, whilst taking long, deep, slow breaths. Take for example your handbag – what colour is it, how neat is the stitching, how does the leather feel under your fingers – is it cool, soft, ragged, etc? Do this for one minute. This is mediation. You are training your brain to feel safe in the present moment, and not drown in imaginary future terrors. You are calming your body with the deep breathing. You are restoring balance and equilibrium to the mind and body. Repeatedly doing this exercise will teach your brain to react calmly in stressful situations.
If you suffer from anxiety, consider using additional supportive practices such as acupuncture, yoga or EFT, all of which work to restore our bodies’ natural ability to function well under stress.
Fiona O'Farrell is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Naturopath. She runs The Gate Clinic in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. See www.thegateclinic.ie for more information.
