You, Your Anxiety & the Pandemic
For may people, it has been a struggle to return to normal living in this semi-post pandemic period. The World Health Organization reports that there is a large increase of 25 percent in those reporting anxiety and depression globally. So, you are not alone in finding that reconvening socially, or readjusting patterns of work, home & parenting have thrown you off-kilter and are bringing up difficult feelings. If your anxiety (or depression) is stopping you from going to work, meeting up with others and holding you back in general, it may be time to come to therapy to work with the anxiety and bring it to a more manageable level— this can still be done online/virtually or if you are feeling the challenge of coming in to the office, I highly recommend starting to socialize safely in the confines of the therapy office!
Here are a few good tips to keep in mind in working with your anxiety & moving towards “normalcy”:
Feelings are not factual
It’s OK and valid for you to feel this way. A great first step is acknowledging your thoughts and feelings, your anxiety levels and sending them as much compassionate care and loving words as possible. All of our nervous systems have been tuned to “high” over the course of the pandemic. Some also went into collapse/down/low/depressed mode as the sustained stress level was just too much over a long period of time. The difficulty with the nervous system is it could still be stuck in a gear of “high” or “low” and you will know which one you tend towards! The hope is to regain feelings of safety and security again so that the nervous system can ease into present-centric safety. Your feelings are signaling to you that you’re in danger or that there is a problem when there might not be.
Yeah but… I’m still being met with challenges
Your nervous system may be tuned to high or signaling large levels of anxiety or panic because there might actually be a problem that needs to be solved. Many were left unemployed with financial problems, have lingering Covid symptoms or long Covid, are dealing with behavioral problems that developed in their children due to social isolation. Some are just feeling a bit off in going back to the office or resuming a social life. I know! It’s been rough! Here’s the tricky part— the nervous system still needs to be readjusted first with the anxiety dealt with, heard and soothed. Once the nervous system can come into regulation, it is easier to see a clearer path forward. Think of your body and mind as a soda can—if it’s all “shook up” then it’s a lot harder to see through the bubbles. It’s much easier to tackle these issues and reach out for help and expertise if you’re meeting problems with your clear, confident, calm, creative self.
How about relieving anxiety on the spot?
Dealing with anxiety and learning to cope with it is a long-term endeavor, but there are a couple of immediate techniques you can try to begin the soothing process. First off, deepening your breathing can really help— this is signaling to the system to cool down. When we start to become anxious, our breathing shortens and gets tighter, which creates more anxiety. It is really important to track your anxiety throughout any given day. You can take a gauge at 8am, 12pm and 9pm for example. It helps to create a “rating system” where you can scale your anxiety from 0 (none at all) to 10 (holy moly through the roof and heart is pounding out of chest with racing thoughts that don’t seem to stop.) The trick is to catch yourself at about a 4— once your anxiety levels go past this, it will be a lot harder to cool. So at a 3/4, this is the time to start with some deep breathing, extending the inhales and exhales for 4 counts. Another trick is to register some pleasant or neutral items in your sight line, such as that pretty bird out the window or your favorite stapler on the desk. Take your time to perceive the item fully, with a softened gaze, receiving the visual information fully and check in with how your body feels once you do this. Repeat for 3-4 items over the course of 5-10 minutes. Lastly, check in with your body and anxiety gauge again— has it lowered even a couple of points?
** This article and the information herein is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition. If you need further help with anxiety or depression, please reach out to a mental health professional to discuss a plan of action.
