What is Anxiety? 

Anxiety is the feeling of fear or panic, and it is your body's natural response to stress. Anxiety can be a good thing. It helps us react to pressures or potential threats by quickening our reflexes and focusing our attention. It usually settles once the stressful situation has passed. Anxiety, as we know it in daily life, is when those feelings don't go away, they're extreme for the situation, and you can't seem to control them. Anxiety feels different depending on the person experiencing it and can become disabling; Feelings can range from butterflies in your stomach to a racing heart. You might feel out of control like there's a disconnect between your mind and body.

What Happens in an Anxious Brain? 

Usually, the brain manages our fear and anxiety without allowing them to interfere with our daily functioning. If there's a nearby threat, different areas of our brains help us make sense of the danger by amplifying our anxiety and fear. When you feel anxious, your body goes on alert, prompting the brain to prepare for its flight, fight or freeze mode. Anxiety can affect our behaviour, emotions and cognitive function of the brain. Which in turn can make it more difficult for our brain to reason. 

So… then how do we let our brains know that there is no need to panic?

Below are some creative ways of dealing with anxiety, whether you like to move, write or listen. There is something for everyone to get back in touch with their surroundings and feel more grounded. 

One: Get in Your Senses 5,4,3.... 

'Get into your senses' is a simple exercise you can do anywhere, anytime. It's a simple way of noticing what's around you when your head becomes overwhelmed. 

Exercise

Name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, one thing you can taste.

Finally, take a deep breath in, hold it, then slowly let it out and notice what you're feeling now. 

Two: Live to Move

If you're like me, exercise has a positive effect on my mental health.(Reword this sentence: If you’re like me, you might find that exercise has a positive effect on your mental health.) This doesn't mean you have to climb a mountain or run a marathon. It may be a dance party in your living room or a walk around the block. Any way to get the blood and endorphins moving and pumping around the body. 

Exercise

Start by doing a body map- scan your body and notice of the tension. This can be standing still or as you start to move. Start at your feet, can you feel them pressing into the ground? Slowly moving up your body, becoming aware of your joints and where you hold tension. Continue through your shoulders, neck and finally the top of your head. Take a deep breath, lift your gaze and become more aware of your surroundings.

Three: Freewriting, the art letting go

There is something therapeutic letting a mind explore on an empty page. Be it a digital device or a physical pen and paper, writing can help rearrange thoughts and emotions.

Exercise

Take an empty page and begin, don’t be afraid of having nothing there- you can’t do anything wrong! Freewriting is all about writing anything and everything that pops into your head, trying your best not to censor yourself. Put a timer on for five minutes and put pen to paper.

Read back what you have written and become aware of your body. Do you notice any subtle shift? Has your breathing slowed, or the tension in your body lessened?

Four: Grounding Object

Having a physical reminder to slow down and be present in the moment, especially being able to carry something physically in your hands, can bring a great sense of comfort and safety.

Exercise

Create or find an object that is small enough to fit in your pocket or your wallet that you can use to help you remind you to slow down and be present. This could be the size of a credit card using a photo collage or drawing significant to you. It could even be a quote or some special words that you relate to.

If you’re like me and like to feel the weight of something. It could be a piece of jewellery, a small rock, shell or a bit of fabric that reminds you that you are safe. There may even be a sentence to go with it.

Carry your object with you. It can be in your handbag, school bag, wallet or car. Somewhere that is easily accessible that you can bring out when you start to feel overwhelmed.

When the time comes, take out your object and repeat some simple words that are soothing to you.

"I am going to be okay",

"Breathe, be still, be yourself",

"Clouds come and go in a windy sky".

Whatever it is … It only has to be important to you …

Five: Feeling the wind in your hair and the sun on your skin

Our lives move so quickly that we can sometimes forget to rest for a minute. Getting outside, finding the sun and barring our toes into the grass can be a lovely feeling. What we are seeing, hearing, experiencing at any moment is changing our mood and how our nervous system and immune systems are working.

Exercise

Find a place outside that you are drawn to, the shade of a tree, or going on a short walk or a place where the sun shines. Take a moment to turn 'do not disturb’ on your phone and look up into the sky. Notice what you see, are there clouds? How quickly are they moving, if at all? Notice the leaves around you, what colour are they? Can you feel the world around you? Is it cold or hot beneath your feet? Take 10 mins to be with nature and finding your breath, feeling the weight of your body on the ground.

If you can't get outside, listening to natural sounds like rain or wind have also been proven to have calming effects on our brains.

References

Depression.org.nz. (n.d.). Anxiety - What you need to know. Depression and Anxiety. https://depression.org.nz/is-it-depression-anxiety/anxiety/. 

Holland, K. (2020, September 3). Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and More. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety. 

How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing? Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing. (n.d.). https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-does-nature-impact-our-wellbeing. 

Publishing, H. H. (n.d.). Sour mood getting you down? Get back to nature. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/sour-mood-getting-you-down-get-back-to-nature. 

Publishing, H. H. (n.d.). Writing about emotions may ease stress and trauma. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/writing-about-emotions-may-ease-stress-and-trauma. 

Romany, & Abbie. (2019, October 14). Grounding Objects. Understanding Voices. https://understandingvoices.com/coping-strategy-toolkit/grounding-objects/.