Anxiety is the most common of all negative emotions. Probably everyone has experienced that “can’t say why, but just feels inexplicable fear”, it may be fear of losing control of a situation, or worry that something bad will happen.
Anxiety affects all aspects of people:
Physiologically, there are bodily reactions such as increased heart rate, muscle tension, and sweating.
Psychologically, anxiety can lead to subjective experiences of fear and anxiety, and in severe cases, even a sense of near-death.
In terms of behavior, we limit people’s ability to move and express, and under the pressure of deadline, we procrastinate again and again.
What can we do about anxiety? Share the following 8 small methods with you, let’s take a look~
01 The things you worry about (almost) never happen
Many people confuse anxiety and fear, when they are actually two different feelings. People’s sense of fear is usually caused by a specific external thing or situation, and it is right in front of you. For example, you will be afraid that you will not be able to complete the work within the deadline. It may be that the paper cannot be reviewed, or it may be left out by someone you like. . In contrast, when people feel anxious, they often don’t know what they’re anxious about.
This is exactly the definition of anxiety in Psychiatry: “When tension and fear have no clear objective object, it is generally a manifestation of anxiety”, That is, anxiety stems from imagined danger.
So you’re anxious about job stress — you’re worried about losing your job, losing your source of income, you’re worried about not being able to live; you’re anxious about being single after 30 — if I live my entire life What if you can’t find the right partner? What to do when you are old?
This is terrifying, but the “danger” is not at hand, and it’s very unlikely to happen. It can also be understood that you are “punishing” today’s self with your imagination of the future – telling today’s self that it’s hard work, in fact, most of it is unnecessary.
02 What to do when anxiety strikes? Relax your body first
When anxiety is more severe, there will be obvious physical symptoms, such as muscle tension, sweating, palpitations or palpitations, difficulty falling asleep, etc.
If anxiety is making you feel a strong sense of discomfort, the first thing to do is “Relax your body, Here’s a simple exercise to share with Everyone (ps. Relaxation also requires practice, you can do it when you have nothing to do, and you will be more familiar with it when you use it.)
Find an easy place to relax, as quiet and private as possible.
Take slow long breaths, slow stretches, and slowly plant your feet toward the floor.
Turn your attention to yourself, pay attention to the tense parts of your body, maybe your shoulders are a little stiff, your back feels a heavy tortoise shell, your palms are sweaty…
Relax tense muscle groups 2-3 times one at a time, including fingers, palms, arms, shoulders, neck, face, chest, abdomen, thighs, calves, and toes. Notice the feeling of relaxation, the difference between muscle relaxation and tension, and then stay in the relaxed state for a while.
Image source: pexels
03 Don’t be fooled by caffeine and alcohol
My friend Amy was finally willing to admit something when she had two glasses of whisky at eleven in the morning – first, she was anxious during this time: the pressure of a new boss , The relationship with her boyfriend went wrong; secondly, she has been trying to use alcohol to relieve anxiety, and she drinks more and more.
Many anxious people bolster themselves by drinking a lot of coffee and alcohol, and they do make people feel good (in the short term) without realizing that it increases anxiety .
The
Anxiety Self-Help Handbook points to related research:“As long as you drink 1 pint (note: nearly 500ml) of regular-strength beer, anxiety can be measured the next day Levels rise, and when this is repeated many times, anxiety can really increase significantly.”
Coffee and wine are great, but don’t make them your safe haven from anxiety.
04 When you have nothing to do, look up at the sky
British author Matt Hero, who has suffered from depression and anxiety, shares in “Notes on Anxiety Planet” a little thing he often does when his anxiety attacks recur – – looking upSky.
As we gaze at the sky, all our 21st century worries will dissolve invisibly against the backdrop of the universe. The sky is bigger than emails, deadlines, mortgages and online spats, our minds and our mental illnesses, names, countries, dates and times. Compared to the sky, our worldly worries are fleeting. No matter how many years we live, no matter how many chapters in human history, the sky will always be the sky.
The bed in my room is against a large window, which means that I can often lie in bed and look at the sky outside, watching the clouds float around and my mind wandering calm.
Image source: pexels
05 It’s not shameful not to watch the news, it’s not shameful not to be on Weibo, and it’s not shameful not to be offline
Anxiety isn’t all your fault. Many people often overlook that modern society, especially the Internet, is also a major culprit of anxiety.
Traffic is about rendering anxiety, so it’s no wonder you’re always getting anxious about information online—advertisers know it, influencers know it , news editors know this. The idea sold to us can be summed up in one sentence: “We are not good enough now, so we must strive to become a better person”.
So use the latest face cream; eat raw eggs; spend 999 yuan to learn self-discipline to get up early; raise awareness; learn short video marketing immediately.
It’s weird not to be anxious.
So, it’s worth remembering the following: There’s no shame in not watching the news. It’s not shameful not to be on Weibo. There is no shame in being offline.
For a while, I unblocked bloggers and media that made people anxious (mainly based on your feelings, as long as you feel uncomfortable, you can block); close friends Circle half a year. My life didn’t get any worse – on the contrary, I was refreshed.
06 It’s hard to move a mountain, but you can pick up the pebbles at your feet first
It’s only natural that people tend to avoid things that make them anxious or to avoid everything if they’re constantly anxious, and that’s where procrastination comes from. But the problem is that avoidance often makes anxiety worse.
Sometimes I don’t do something, but I don’t feel relaxed. Even if I play, I can’t concentrate completely. It seems that there are two forces in my heart. We all know that action can relieve anxiety, but the question is, how to start taking action?
Try to crystallize your task, break it down into parts, and choose the one that gives you the least stress. This method worked for me, and I also called this little task “start the program”.
For example, if you want to write a 3000 word elective paper (really a very difficult task), your starting procedure can be: create a folder, write the name of the paper . Or: download to your desktop a few papers you want to read.
You have to complete a video shoot on the weekend (to make up, to change clothes, to really think about shooting is a big head), the start-up procedure can be: first do some makeup, no matter what It’s always right to put on makeup whether you take a picture or not, and it’s quite fun (you will be surprised to find that after you have finished your makeup, you will obediently go to take a video! Haha~)
Coping with anxiety is the hardest and most important thing, the first step. Take this step, the next thing will be much less resistance.
Image source: pexels
07 Re-tell your “fear”
Sometimes, changing the narrative can give you a new perspective on anxiety.
UK psychiatrist Dr Tim Cantopher, clients with anxiety like to have them paint three possible scenarios for the current situation, worst, best and most likely Case. For example, if you are very anxious about your work report-
Worst-case scenario: You get caught in a long pause in your presentation, then get dizzy, vomit, and finally get carried off the stage amid the jeers of everyone. However, the probability of this happening is estimated to be about the same as the probability of winning the lottery.
Best case scenario: You performed flawlessly and made an excellent presentation. The possibility is slightly higher than the previous one, but it is still unlikely to happen.
Most likely scenario: You’ll get through it, not perfect, but should be fine. People will see that you’re nervous, but so what? In fact, the probability of this happening is very high.
We often spend a lot of time imagining best- and worst-case scenarios, when in fact, you should accept the most likely inference – not so good, and Not so bad. Often things may go in this direction.
08 Think of life as an amusement park adventure
The two years I just graduated and worked were the top of my anxiety. When I entered the society from school, it was like a boat that was thrown into the vast sea. Everything was my own responsibility. It’s terrifying – how can the boat go so slowly? What if I capsize? The future is foggy, where am I going to sail?
So I set myself a lot of work, I was so busy every day, and it was predictable that everything just got worse. It is impossible (and necessary) to find a definite course and lighthouse for oneself on the sea.
Later, I began to imagine life as an amusement park. Since there are moments when the park is closed, my main task is to experience, take risks, and have fun as much as possible. and have fun. So I started imagining and looking forward to projects that I had never experienced, and they were no longer just endless fear and worry.
Image source: pexels
There is a scene in “Girls” where I interview a 92-year-old grandma in Brooklyn, New York, and ask her what’s the secret to her longevity?
“I wake up every day and ask myself, what can I do to make myself happy today? It’s the best way to be alive because you’ll get up and say, ok, I’m going to do this for myself first,” said the grandmother.
In reading the treatment notes of a psychologist, I was impressed by a set of conversations he had with his patients:
“Why can’t I please everyone?”
“Because we will die.”
“Why can’t I do everything I want to do?”
“Because we will die.”
I was thinking that the nature of anxiety is death anxiety, and maybe it’s simply irreversible.
But that doesn’t mean we need to be captives of anxiety,we can still look up at the sky, keep moving regularly, and live as well as possible while acknowledging our own limitations every moment.
References
Tang Hongyu and Fang Yiru, eds., Psychiatry, April 2019, People’s Health Publishing House
【English】Matt Hilo, translated by Li Yaping, Notes on Anxiety Planet, June 2019, Jiangxi People’s Publishing House
[English] Tim Cantopher, translated by Jiang Chaoxiao, “Anxiety Self-Help Handbook: Overcoming Anxiety Is Not Difficult”, March 2022, Zhejiang People’s Publishing House
Author: Han Bing Editor: kuma
Cover image source: pexels