Everyone has anxiety. It is a part of how we were made. It's a great tool to help us have the energy and motivation to fight our battles.
Sometimes it can get out of control though. When that happens it can even become habitual and even cause our brains to respond in more drastic ways over time.
Much of the problem is that we have created an environment and culture that does not handle stress or anxiety well. Most of us are not taught how to handle it in positive ways, and our sedentary culture amplifies the problem.
If you think you have an anxiety disorder, here is an article to help give you some insights from the medical field.
The Chicken or the Egg?
There is a sort of "chicken or egg" problem with anxiety, as well as with other mental or emotional difficulties. The question is, which comes first? Does the brain create feelings of anxiety so that you are anxious? Or do anxious habits affect the brain so that it becomes a machine that pumps out anxiety into your body? Ultimately that might not matter, but getting to the source can always help to some extent. The good news is that either way you can break the cycle that causes your anxious thoughts and feelings. That belief is an important step in your mental health journey.
Where Does It Come From?
Here's a basic explanation of current thoughts about anxiety from Northwestern Medicine.
Symptoms of anxiety disorders are thought to be a disruption of the emotional processing center in the brain rather than the higher cognitive centers. The brain's limbic system, comprised of the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus and thalamus, is responsible for the majority of emotional processing.
This explains why we can't simply "logic" our way out of anxiety. Thinking is involved in overcoming it, but it is just not sufficient on its own.
This is compounded by the fact that many times we are not connected to our emotions as much as we think. We feel emotions, but we are not always privy to knowing where or how they originated. (This is part of learning to know yourself, and it takes both time and practice.) Because we may not be in tune with our emotions, we will find it more difficult to find ways to help with it. Sometimes we might even be tempted to think nothing can be done! (Of course, that's incorrect.)
What is worse is that anxiety can also cause physical problems in the body that might not be directly connected to the anxiety. When you address these symptoms without recognizing the anxiety contributing to them, you cannot alleviate the symptom for long. Medicines can force the body to function again, but without that continued push from the medicines those symptoms will return. Continued suppression of the symptoms might also cause the anxiety to find other avenues in the body. Anxiety seems to cause problems to get your attention, and ignoring those prompts for attention can cause many more problems.
Act to Overcome
Activity that faces your anxiety problems directly is the best possible way to alleviate anxiety. Our bodies were caused to have "anxiety" so that it can motivate us to action. Our stress response provides the necessary energy to start and continue work that will address our problems. But what if there is nothing to do? An example of this is waiting for test results. The tests have been done and sent to the labs. All that is left is waiting for the results. What action can you perform to help bring about the result? The waiting becomes the action. And this is when anxiety can be terrible for our bodies.
Fortunately there are things we can do that will help with anxiety.
Tips for overcoming anxiety:
Breathing techniques
Squared Breathing is one of my favorites for fighting anxiety. It's a simple process of breathing in for the count of 4, holding the breath for 4, breathing out for 4, and holding that "breathed out" position for the count of 4. Do that for about 5 minutes. There are other techniques you could try. Much of it is about thinking about something else for a little bit, but the oxygen itself is thought to help relief stress.
Meditation
There are many ideas about meditation, but 2 basic ones:
- Think about "nothing". This might seem difficult at first, but clearing your mind of thoughts (or even simply attempting that) can help you.
- Concentrate on one idea, wherever it takes you. For me this is about thinking of a favorite scripture or positive idea. What you want to avoid, however, is thinking about something you are already anxious about.
Prayer
Prayer is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal against anxiety. Connecting with God on a personal level can benefit in many ways. If you're not sure how to pray, think of it as a conversation. Just say what comes to mind. Don't worry. There is nothing big enough to rattle God, and He already knows everything you're thinking anyway. Tell Him about it so you will BOTH know what He knows. Want to receive a free 30-day devotional guide for help with anxiety? Here is it.
Laughter
Comedians exist for a good reason! Pop in a stupid movie and force yourself to laugh at all the jokes you would normally roll your eyes at. Try it for a few minutes and see if you don't feel better.
Exercise
The best cure for anxiety is doing something related to the anxiety you are feeling. But if it were that simple you would have already done it. Chances are high that there is nothing TO do related to your anxiety. So, do the next best thing-- exercise. Break a sweat. Tire yourself out. It will help you sleep better (another helper for anxiety) and your anxieties will simply dissolve while you are doing it.
Focus
This relates to meditation, but I like to do focus exercises where I write down all my thoughts and then try to organize them. What could I say about these thoughts that would help my categorize them? When they are categorized, how could I organize them into larger "buckets" so that I begin to see similarities between all my thoughts? Can I see patterns? These kinds of metal exercises can often bring to mind solutions to problems you didn't even realize you had.
Essential Oils
This is a big one for me. I've used them for about 7 years now. I would not say they are a cure, but they definitely help! For a short list, I recommend you choose one of these: lavender, orange (don't apply to skin that will be touched by the sun within 12 hours), or frankincense. Inhale or apply to your skin with a carrier oil. For more information about this one, here's an article I wrote about how orange essential oil changed my life. (I have a lot to say about this one, but to start, don't just run to the store and buy something. Do some research because they are not all equal.)
Of course, there is no reason to just try one of these tips! Try them all and find what works best for you.
Relief Can Be Found
Give yourself some time and grace. You don't need to do any of these perfectly. Just try to develop some habits over time. Forgive yourself for pains you feel you might have caused yourself by being anxious, and remember that while thinking cannot fix the problem, strategic planning and goals can definitely help!
Remember that these tips might be only addressing symptoms of anxiety. If you want to find ways to create better habits and learn to use your anxiety as a tool instead of fighting against it, join my free men's group on Facebook where you will learn those kinds of skills.
I'm Jason Sparks and I empower men aged 30-45 to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors and find purpose through a holistic approach to personal development, integrating spiritual growth, career stability, and natural healing methods. Join me on Facebook for free. JOIN
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