Who me? I’ve never had anxiety

No matter how intense the situation, we all experience anxiety, some are just able to manage it better.


Anxiety is misunderstood as a mental health problem. Anxiety is something we all experience; ANXIETY keeps us alive.

Regardless if you have experienced anxiety before, our current situation with COVID-19 will have increased uncertainty in us all.
Uncertainty breeds anxiety. It distorts how we make sense of the world around us, how we view it and how we respond to what is happening around the world.
Anxiety is difficult for us to express; most frequently, is described as worrying and some uncomfortable physical sensations. In January 2020 we touched on the thought processes of anxiety and how it connects with the physical sensations in the ‘think-feel-do’ approach of CBT.




In this blog, we would like to briefly identify the physical sensations which are associated with anxiety and panic. Then some techniques you can use to help reduce the physical feelings and negative thinking.

Physical sensations such as heart racing, dizziness, tiredness, muscle ache and tension, trembling and shaking, dry mouth, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, sore stomach or nausea, pins and needles, difficulty falling asleep. Sometimes we only experience them mildly, enough for us to pay attention to something feeling different. Equally, there are times when we experience four or more of them together, which are recognised as panic attacks.

As mentioned in the video, we are programmed to think ahead and look for solutions for problems, which often don’t yet exist. The thoughts come thick and fast, some we notice and some we don’t. It’s only when we pay attention to these thoughts do; we see a response to them. We often describe them in therapy as, like trains going through a station, some fly through while others stop for a short time. For the next minute, as you continue to read on, I don’t want you to think about the ‘pink fluffy elephant.’ The pink elephant isn’t scary and if anything, probably makes you smile.

The physical symptoms exacerbate anxious thoughts that something terrible will happen, which will be catastrophic, and we underestimate our ability to cope. So, reducing physical sensations should reduce anxious or negative thoughts. What if the thought that you are trying not to think of keeps coming back into your head, and along with it, your heart races, your breathing is getting faster, you feel dizzy, and you feel like you are going to pass out.

Let’s try to slow down that breathing.

One of the most common physical symptoms of anxiety is a difference in breathing - it tends to become shallower and quicker. Which often leads to hyperventilation, which then, in turn, can make anxiety feel worse. So a simple breathing exercise can help.

• Breathe in and out rhythmically

• Slowly breathe in through the nose for around four seconds. You want to be able to fill yourself with as much air as you can. We refer to this as ‘belly breathing’, putting your hand on your stomach as you breathe in can help you know you have inhaled enough.

• Hold this breath for one or two seconds.

• Exhale slowly through the mouth over about four seconds (as if you were blowing bubbles).

• Wait two or three seconds before taking another breath.

• Repeat this for 2-3 minutes.

Once your breathing is under control, you will notice that the other physical sensations will begin to settle and reduce in intensity. To further help reduce anxiety, we need to train ourselves not to look ahead. We can achieve this through grounding exercises.

How’s it going not thinking about the ‘pink fluffy elephant’?

Grounding

Grounding is a term for bringing ourselves back into the present when we start to feel emotionally overwhelmed and out of control. With these techniques, we use our environment and senses to help them focus our attention on something other than a trigger for anxiety. Below are some ideas of ways to practise grounding.

• A strong smell like smelling salts, or essential oils. The part of the brain related to smell is close to the part of the brain associated with fear and emotional memories. A strong smell that wouldn’t be present in those imagined/remembered situations can help bring us back into the present.

• A strong taste- by the same logic taste can help us to ‘snap out of’ memories or imagined situations that are upsetting. Sour sweets or a hot chilli sauce can work.

• A tactile object- having a stress ball to squeeze, beads on a string that you can move up or down; a bouncy ball to throw and catch; a soft blanket to stroke; or any other tactile object that you can interact with to keep you focused on the present can help. It can be particularly helpful if the object is associated with positive memories, i.e. a shell from a beach where you went on holiday, or a gift from a friend.

• A photograph- sometimes it can be helpful to ground ourselves by remembering what we have in the present.

• 5, 4, 3, 2, 1- this is a simple grounding exercise that can be done anywhere and there are five steps. Try identifying:

• Physical grounding- when we are overwhelmed, we often feel a bit nauseous and weak and want to sit down and shut our eyes. If we can make ourselves use our muscles and have to focus our physical energy on something in the present, this can be a very effective way of grounding. Two helpful ways to do this are planking, or a wall-sit or any other method of expelling physical energy intensely.



While these are a few strategies which can help you reduce your anxiety; in future blogs, we will visit ways to identify worries and ways to manage them.

If anything, you read in the blog, or watched in the video is something you would like further help with, please get in touch.

We would love to hear from you, and start to see what is possible in your journey to not only protecting but improving your mental health.