Managing in an anxious world

 

Are you an over-thinker? Well! You are not alone. In this current world, anxiety is an emotion which we are experiencing from time to time. The sensation of doom or dread or panic is indeed overwhelming but acknowledging and dealing with them is foremost important. So how to learn to ride the wave of anxiety instead of getting lost in the abyss?

So, here are few quick tips which you can follow to manage anxiety:

·     Press the pause button and stop:  Currently we all are going through various changes. So, always remind yourself that experiencing some anxiety in this current circumstance is normal. The challenge is to accept changes and be resilient. Stop! Pause! be aware of what you are feeling. Acknowledge the feeling that anxiety exists & that it can be managed.  It is imperative to manage your anxiety & not let anxiety manage you.

·        Be kind to yourself: Treat yourself with compassion when you are anxious. Emotions are like waves; at times they seem to come out from nowhere and I agree that they are hard to deal with. So, to ride out these emotional waves as stated in the previous point, first you must accept what you feel tune into your inner dialogue and be compassionate and speak to yourself. If you are harsh and critical to yourself, you will only increase the sense of threat and this will raise your anxiety even further. For example, rather than saying “this is awful and terrifying, I am so stupid for getting myself all worked up”, change it to “things are uncertain and frightening no wonder I’m feeling anxious now, but I will do everything which is under my control to reduce my anxiety.”

·     Bring your attention to the present: Ask yourself, “right here, right now, am I feeling ok?” This is an important question, that you need to ask yourself. Because at times, our mind pulls us away from the present and goes to the future. An unknown future is less certain and more anxiety provoking. So, you need to ask yourself that “right now, am I well? Right now, do I have the essentials I need? Right now, are my loved ones safe?” Answers to these questions will prevent you from being pulled into “what if” thinking and scenarios which fuel anticipatory anxiety and distress. Even our thoughts about what has happened in the past can create anxiety and distress. This is how our mind can time travel very easily from the past to the future, bypassing the present hence generating anxiety and other negative emotions.

·       Control the things you can and let go of the things you cannot: We often tend to worry about things that are not under our control. The more you try to control the less control you will experience so loosen your grip and move on. Let me give you an instance, currently we all are worried about COVID-19 spread, we wonder by when COVID-19 will bid adieu. But this is something which is not under our control. But yes, what is in our control is to follow the government rules and protect each other by maintaining social distancing, washing our hands and wearing a face mask. So we must do our bit to stay safe and healthy.

·        Do a brain dump: Write down all your current worries on a piece of paper.  This will help you to realize that while it feels as though your head is full of rushing thoughts, it is often the same few thoughts which we dwell on & that is doing a ‘merry- go- round in our mind. Once you have written it down, specify what it is that is worrying you, rather than being generic about a concern. For example, if you are currently worried about COVID-19 write down what specific concerns you have regarding COVID-19 rather than being just generic. Then decide whether this worry or anxiety is something over which you can exert any influence or control. Finally think and choose what action is then appropriate and applicable. Never let anxiety take you away from the present. Always be mindful and channel your energies more wisely. Always remember that every phase is a passing phase and it will end soon so take one step at a time and continue to move forward.