Anchoring Your Anxious Self
Anxiety is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions, with 1 in 6 Australians experiencing an anxiety disorder at some point in other lives.
However, the line between anxiety and healthy concern is often blurred. Concern about ourselves, others or situations often drives us to be prepared and have a plan, working towards a successful outcome.
Anxiety is persistent worry or fear about ourselves, others or situations that includes uncomfortable physical symptoms and increasing negative thinking, which leads to an unsuccessful outcome.
Consider the difference between these two experiences:
You’re healthily concerned about giving a workplace presentation. You research the relevant sections of the topic, practice your key points and you feel confident this is an achievable task. You present the next day, in a content but motivated state.
You’re anxious about giving a workplace presentation. You research every possible concept, create a scripted speech in attempt to cram all information into a time limit and you worry you may forget a key piece of information. You present the next day, stumbling over your words, constantly looking at the clock and rushing through it.
Anxiety can be pervasive and influence us to focus on past mistakes or try to predict the future. Learning to understand and manage anxiety can help you feel anchored in the present, and bring you closer to experiencing healthy concern. Some common techniques for anxiety include:
Learning to recognize physical clues: Do you notice changes in your breathing, increased heart rate, sweatiness, upset stomach or nausea, muscle tension or dizziness?
Practice relaxation & grounding techniques: learning to calm your body and exist in the present moment can take the ‘out-of-control’ feeling away. Tools like mindfulness, breathwork, or activities that engage your senses can help you feel in control of your body.
Observing triggers: Are there places, people or situations where you commonly feel anxious or constantly worried? Knowing these places cause anxiety, can help you prepare and plan.
Journalling or self-reflection: Writing down events that caused anxiety during the day can help establish patterns and adjust your routine to manage those symptoms or seek support.
Acknowledge your thoughts: When you notice anxiety, check in with your thought patterns. Are you setting high expectations for yourself? Trying to predict a specific outcome? Ignoring the possible positive evidence this event could go well?
Challenge your perspective: If your thinking is negative, question it. Is this the only possible outcome? Am I 100% sure this will happen? Would my world fall apart if it did?
Anchoring ourselves in the present moment and regaining control of our thoughts and routine can help reduce our experience of anxiety and feel more confident to tackle day to day life.