Anxiety has a way of showing up before we even realize it's there.
This episode walks through what anxiety actually is, how it differs from everyday stress, and why so many people have spent years living with it without recognizing the pattern. Plus three practical techniques worth keeping in your back pocket: a counting exercise that redirects a racing mind, a breathing method that helps when something hard is coming, and grounding practices that bring you back to the present.
The opportunities for anxiety to latch on will keep coming. What we do in those moments is what matters.
Takeaways:
Anxiety often manifests as a subtle presence that escalates into persistent agitation and worry.
Recognizing the early signs of anxiety is crucial for managing it effectively in daily life.
Utilizing breathing techniques can significantly alleviate feelings of anxiety and promote relaxation.
Engaging in grounding practices, such as walking barefoot, helps reconnect with the natural world and mitigate anxious thoughts.
Welcome to the Back2Better audio blog, where we take life one day at a time.
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This week's how to Address and Alleviate.
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Anxiety Anxiety we have all experienced it in some form or another.
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It may have slipped in as gentle waves at first, then escalating into a state of agitation and worry.
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Anxiety has a way of creeping in so we don't see it at first.
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Sometimes it can show up in our sleep as sentences that are repetitive.
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We may find ourselves rehearsing phrases multiple times or reiterating a list of some sort.
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Anxiety may sometimes show itself as busyness in the beginning mixed with a bit of compulsion to keep going when we should have stopped a while ago.
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Irritation may surface with snappy answers when someone asks us a simple question.
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Our breathing may become rapid and it could feel as if we can't shut off our brain or concentrate.
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Anxiety doesn't always follow the same pattern, but as we become more self aware we may start to recognize it sooner rather than later.
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So what is anxiety?
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Anxiety is when one perceives fear or concern.
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At times this may be a normal response to an event taking place in one's life.
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It becomes a problem when it occurs without reason or is continuous.
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We may sense it in ourselves or we may be completely unaware.
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If this has been a pattern in life for us, we may have become so used to it that we just don't see it anymore.
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Other people may recognize it more easily when anxiety is overwhelming us.
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Anxiety can manifest as feelings of tension, shortness of breath, dread over the future, incessant worry, difficulty concentrating and unreasonable fears.
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This may play out in restless nights with no sleep, dodging people or withdrawing from situations.
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There is a difference between anxiety and the everyday stresses we encounter.
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Stress is usually connected to a deadline or a specific confrontation.
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Anxiety may show up without a definite reason and can linger and interfere in our day to day life.
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No one wants to live in a state of dread and restlessness and yet many people have spent years of their lives with this very challenge surfacing repeatedly.
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Here are three quick tips to help apprehend the agitation and calm the concerns count backwards from 100 in multiples of 6.
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Do this with your eyes closed.
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Take a deep breath, exhale through the mouth and begin.
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194:88 It doesn't matter if we get the math right.
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If counting in multiples of six doesn't sit right, choose multiples of seven or a different number, but do not choose an easy number.
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Counting backwards in multiples of five would be too simple.
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The idea is to get our mind engaged in focusing on the numbers and needing to figure them out.
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This exercise takes the focus off of the person or activity that is causing us the anxiety in the first place.
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This is not a class.
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This is an exercise to be done in a quiet place where one is comfortable but feeling overwhelmed with anxious thoughts.
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There may be times we don't see ourselves spiraling into the land of worry and apprehension.
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Perhaps a loved one will notice and prompt us to relax.
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It would be beneficial to take the hint and use a few moments to work on this.
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It could be a game changer.
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Breathing Techniques these can be super helpful.
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One that may help specifically when facing a daunting task is Breathe in from the diaphragm on four counts, hold for seven counts, and exhale on eight counts when a stressful confrontation needs to take place.
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These four 7, 8 breathing exercises can make a real difference.
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Grounding Practices these are a great way to adjust when feeling overwhelmed.
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Walking barefoot can help us feel connected and get out of the cycles of anxious thoughts in our head.
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Strolling through outdoor trails and reconnecting with nature and all its beauty tends to bring peace and balance back into play.
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The opportunities for anxiety to latch onto us will come and go.
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Is what we do with those moments that counts.
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Creating some go to practices can help us establish healthy patterns and pretty soon we will see that addressing anxiety is also how we alleviate it.
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The Back to Better Audio blog is based on the blog at glueyourlifebacktobetter.com and produced in partnership with Brilliant Beam Media.
