The first thing we need to know about anxiety is it's a natural and a normal response to stress. According to Healthline.com "it's a feeling of fear or apprehension about what's to come." Think of when you tried out for a sports team, had a job interview, were getting ready to talk to 'your crush.' Likely anxiety was present because it was something new and unknown. Your body wants to keep you safe and secure so it sends 'stress signals' as if to say, "This is out of our normal routine, and I'm not sure about this." These signals are designed to keep us out of harmful situations and to avoid danger.
Anxiety becomes a problem for us when we flood our system with these 'stress signals' over and over again on a daily basis. We are at an unhealthy level of anxiety when normal, daily decisions overwhelm us. We start to avoid activities we used to enjoy. For example, we fear choosing the wrong cheese at the grocery store. We study the labels for ten minutes and unable to decide, we leave the store without buying anything. We can't seem to decide on anything because we keep worrying about making the wrong choice.
These are signs that anxiety has risen to an unhealthy level which is taking away our joy and ruining our relationships. We are becoming more isolated, irritable, stressed, and WE CAN'T STOP WORRYING ABOUT IT. Mayo Clinic describes an unhealthy level of anxiety as, "Intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and feeling tired may occur."
So what can we do about it? The first thing is to realize that your anxiety has increased over the course of time. Your brain and your body have been stuck in a predictable pattern where your worries trigger your body to send 'stress signals,' which keeps you from thinking clearly, and your whole system gets flooded with these thoughts and emotions playing ping-pong inside of you. What changes everything is to raise your level of calm rather than your level of anxiety. It's likely for years you have been unconsciously teaching yourself to fixate on your negative feelings and thoughts and be controlled by them. The shift that needs to occur is to fix your mind on good things. The Bible provides insight into this process, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." -Philippians 4:8 (NLT).
Have you ever received really good news unexpectedly? Maybe you found out that 'your crush' likes you or you got an unexpected check in the mail. What happened to the thing you were thinking about right before that moment? It vanished. POOF. Each of us does has an ability to select our conscious thoughts at any moment. The Rising Calm Center helps you select thoughts that will lead to better feelings and ultimately break the chains of your anxiety.
Speaking of good news, we would like to offer you the opportunity to speak with our team about your stress, anxiety, and emotions to see how we can help. We offer a free 15-30 minute consultation where we can explain our process, answer any questions, and help you understand how to improve your mood and thoughts on a daily basis.
To receive your free consultation, give us a quick call or text at: (352) 870-9883.
As a bonus here is a quick 10 question self-test to help you assess your level of anxiety:
1. Do you often worry or have a sense of unrest that makes you feel fatigued or irritable?
2. Do you often lose sleep or struggle to concentrate due to worries and fears of the unknown?
3. Do you often experience repetitive and persistent thoughts that are upsetting and unwanted?
4. Do you sometimes experience feelings of panic, shortness of breath, chest pains, a pounding heart, sweating, shaking, nausea, dizziness, and/or fear of dying?
5. Do you often fear you are losing control of your life or emotions?
6. Do you often feel nervous or unable to relax even in normal events?
7. Do you avoid social situations that you desire to be at because you are afraid or anxious about possible negative outcomes?
8. Have your worries seemed “irrational,” or out of proportion with the situation, but beyond your control to stop?
9. Have you felt shaky or wobbly, with numbness or tingling in your body, while feeling anxious?
10. Do you find it is difficult to soothe or calm down, even after the thing you are worried about seems resolved?
If you answered yes to 3 or more of these questions, then there is a high probability that you are experiencing an unhealthy level of anxiety that is negatively impacting your mind and body.
Would you like to have more control of those anxious thoughts and feelings? If so, we can provide you with a free 15 - 30 minute relaxed consultation to help.
Please give us a quick call or text at: (352) 870-9883.
“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Comments