Coping With Anxiety And The Unexpected
Unexpected things happen. We're experiencing that now with the declared pandemic of COVID-19. But one thing is sure, anxiety does not have to be part of our response to this unexpected occurrence. Or, it doesn't have to take over our minds in an unhealthy way. With all that's going on right now, I thought we could talk about how to cope with anxiety, especially when things come up unexpectedly.Whenever I find myself getting anxious about something, I try and quickly address my thoughts and replace anxiety with this particular truth...Being anxious does not change my circumstances. It does not fix what's going on. It does NO good for my situation.But I know, first hand, that when things are unexpected, when things feel like they're becoming out of control, the natural tendency for a lot of us is to tighten our grip of other things in order to feel in control.This is what happens when we have a diet-culture mindset. We feel that in order to have control of our bodies and ourselves around food we have to keep a tight grip on ourselves. Then, when things change, when we can't follow our food plan like we wanted to, when we can't go to the gym like we always do on Wednesday mornings, when our schedule is disrupted due to illness, the anxiety creeps in.So what do we do with anxiety and the perception of losing control? What can we do in those moments to not let our fears take us away to that far off place where anxiety takes over?I want to share 4 things you can do to help you cope with anxiety when things are unexpected and when things don't go the way you may have planned that they would.
1. TAKE A DEEP BREATH
Give yourself a moment to just be. Then, connect with your breath. Take a deep inhale, hold it for a moment, then slowly exahale. By connecting with this inward part of you, you are able to connect your physical self (your breath) with your mental self (your mind). Breathing deeply is the most practical way you can tell your body to start to relax. It helps take you out of a sympathetic (fighting) state into a parasympathetic (resting) state.
2. TALK ABOUT IT
Talking about whatever it is that is causing you anxiety instantly takes away some of its power. Get a girlfriend who you trust to encourage you and provide good, sound advice.
3. TRY HEALTHY DISTRACTION
Distraction can be so healthy if it's used in the right way. No, we don't want to always distract ourselves from our feelings...there are times where it's healthy and so good to confront our feelings and our anxiety head-on through talking about our feelings with someone (see above) or journaling. But it's also unhealthy to dwell on our anxious thoughts. You want a balance. So find something to distract yourself from whatever it is that's causing you anxiety. Maybe that's going on a walk outside, doing something fun with friends, enjoying a hobby. Find what that is for you.
4. GET PROFESSIONAL HELP WHEN YOU NEED
Don't be ashamed if you need professional help. We all need something more than what we can give ourselves from time to time. Applaud yourself for recognizing that you need help. Find a therapist or a coach who you trust and reach out. What have you found that helps you cope with anxiety when things don't go as planned?