Navigating Anxiety: Practical Strategies for Everyday Life
Anxiety is a normal emotion; we all experience it from time to time, though some of us more than others. Below are a few practical strategies for navigating anxiety in everyday life.
First and foremost:
•Notice when you feel anxiety. When does it come up? Where do you experience it? What are the sensations like for you? Feel free to get as creative as you want using shapes, colors, textures, etc. The purpose of this is to get curious and gradually become more comfortable experiencing these uncomfortable emotions rather than trying to avoid them. The more we avoid something, the more intense it becomes over time.
•Speaking of, don’t avoid the things that spark anxiety! Easier said than done, I know. However, just like avoiding our emotions makes them more intense over time, the more we avoid experiences that spark fear or anxiety, the more fearful and anxious we become the next time we’re faced with it. This can be a helpful point to identify some unintended consequences of avoidance. For example, what might you be missing out on that’s important to you or your life?
•Cold exposure. Cold temperatures help to automatically kick in our parasympathetic nervous system, or the “Rest and digest” vs the “Fight, flight or freeze” response. Using cold exposure, such as taking a cold shower, washing your face with cold water, holding ice cubes, using an ice roller or even standing in the freezer aisle of the grocery store will bring your heart rate down. It’s important to focus on the experience rather than continuing to ruminate on unhelpful thoughts so typically the more intense the anxiety, the more extreme the exposure. However, use what you have available to regulate when emotions become too intense. Note, this is not about trying to avoid or “get rid of” anxiety, rather to help bring the intensity down so you can use alternative coping strategies once more regulated.
•Paced breathing. Another method to activate the parasympathetic nervous system is a style of breathing called Paced Breathing. This involves having a longer exhale than your inhale, for example breathing in for 3 and breathing out for 6. The number doesn’t necessarily matter, the main focus is on extending the exhale as this kicks your parasympathetic nervous system into gear. Try to focus on the breath and/or the counting and take stock of how you feel before and after doing a few rounds of this. This is a very effective tool and can be done anywhere, anytime.
•Mindfulness. Anxiety is typically about a perceived threat in the future and a lack of confidence in our ability to cope with it. Our thoughts are usually off in the distant future, imagining scenarios that feel real in the moment but most likely won’t happen. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing intentional, non-judgmental awareness to the present moment. Take a moment to look around a notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. Alternatively, try looking for the colors of the rainbow by finding 5 things that are red, 4 things that are orange or yellow, 3 things that are green, 2 things that are blue and 1 thing that is purple. This is an intentional distraction from the internal distress that allows you to focus on the present moment with what’s around you.
•Make a list & break it down. When things feel overwhelming, sometimes we shut down because it feels like too much. By breaking down the task into smaller, more manageable pieces, we can begin to take action which in turn lowers our anxiety and increases feelings of competence and confidence.