Surviving the Stream: Ways to Reduce Your Anxiety Throughout the Day

2016-03-04 00:40:06 Katie Navarra

Your day has not even started, you are lying in bed, and the looming thought of everything you have to accomplish lies in front of you. Even worse, you already feel the anxiety in your body creeping in and your feet have not even hit the floor. This leads you to “anxiety about your anxiety!” Crazy right…not really! If you face this feeling, you are not alone. But the good news is, this does not have to define the start to your day or the path you walk. There are ways to reduce your anxiety before the day begins and as the day goes on. You are NOT without HOPE! There are a few things you can adopt to help you not only get through your day, but begin the healing process of not letting anxiety have such a tight grip on your life. Here are some things to try:

• Befriend Your Anxiety. I know this may seem impossible, absurd, or down-right unreasonable, but it is not. If we look back at what the role of anxiety was made for, it was an alert system, a “raising of the red-flag” in order to signal your body to fight or flee. Now, we live in modern civilization but our brains still use anxiety to warn us. What if we looked at our anxiety not out of annoyance but as our helper, teacher, instructor. If we could stop and listen to our anxiety, maybe we could discover it trying to protect us, and just like you would with a friend, you could thank it for warning you, and help ease its tension. Sound crazy? Give it a try!
• Out with the old, in with the new. Think of a saying that would provide a sense of calm in your system. Maybe it is “Breathe in Peace” or if you are spiritual, “I trust you God.” Try taking three deep breaths and when you breathe in, recite your saying, and when you exhale, say to yourself “Out with worry and anxiety.” Breathe in trust and you breathe out worry.
• Learn from Your Anxiety. Similar to befriending your anxiety, learn when it is triggered, what triggers it, how it is triggered, where it came from, and utilize calming behaviors in those times before your anxiety peaks to a 10. Learn when it is rising and catch it before it gets overwhelming.
• Practice Calm Daily. If you struggle with anxiety, it is of utmost importance to practice relaxations DAILY. Try the CALM app and do 2-5 minutes a day of breathing or meditation. The lasting benefits are worth setting aside a few minutes each day.
• Increase Margin. Anxiety can heighten when we are squeezing 8 million tasks into 8 hours. Make sure you take a break, get fresh air, or take a walk. Schedule margin into your life, allow 5 extra minutes between meetings. Your anxiety will thank you by not showing up as much.
• Adjust Your Self-Care. If anxiety has a hold on your life, try these simple things. Eat right - your anxiety can be triggered by lack of food or not the right foods. Exercise – and maybe not the intense cardio as some of you may need to add restorative exercise into your life, i.e. yoga, walking, or hiking. Caffeine – Are you anxious and drinking coffee everyday? When your body tends to run anxious, your internal state may already be where some people’s bodies are with the addition of coffee. So, when you add caffeine, it tips your body over the edge and anxiety symptoms ensue. Cut back and see how it helps. I promise it’s worth the relief of those anxious moments. Pray – continue to release your worries as many are out of your control anyways.

Above all else, remember this… “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2

As much as it feels like anxiety is going to rush you down a river, overwhelm you, burn you, and consume you, it won’t. You have the strength to get through the rough waters and the tools to navigate your raft downstream. Peaceful, tranquil waters lie ahead.

Couples, Parenting, Children and Teens, Women, Men, Mental Health, Anxiety