If you’re trying to learn how to calm anxiety, there are several things you should know.
– everyone gets anxious.
– anxiety is a normal feeling.
– if the threat is real, your anxiety is justified.
For clear and present danger, you should understand that you are reacting like any person would. That pain in your stomach and the urge to flee is your body’s way of bracing itself for the threat. If the threat is emotional, you tend to get the same feeling as when the threat is physical. Normal responses to the actual source of fear are not an issue.
When do you know that your anxiety is not normal?
If you start showing signs of fearing imaginary threats and reacting with anxiety in situations that normally wouldn’t seem threatening, then you may have a problem. For instance, consider the following:
– Crowds and being inside a building with several other people is not something to be worried about, but somehow, your mind is telling you that an earthquake will happen and you need to get out fast.
– You stand on the podium about to speak to a group of people and your mind tells you that everyone’s expecting you to make a mistake. You can almost hear the snickers from afar, and even from the people at the back.
– it’s a normal day at home and the kids aren’t home. You have a premonition that you’re imagining things and that you don’t actually have a family. You’re waiting for nothing and you seem to be under the illusion that people need you.
These imagined fears can lead to the same kind of anxiety that happens when there is an actual threat around. What’s worse is that the panic is unjustified, so your mind conjures more possibilities that seem more horrible than the last. This is what happens when a person has a panic attack. Some don’t even know what’s causing it, but there’s no denying that the fear is persisting no matter what they do.
If you’ve ever experienced this, you should be alarmed, but not so alarmed that you think you will never get through it. There are many people that have gone through this phase and still stay happy living their lives. There’s always therapy, and there are self-help books out there that will tell you about the treatments.
What can you do to learn how to calm anxiety when you’re neck deep in it? Here’s a quick way to relax: affirm. Make sure you channel your energy into constructive thought and you’ll feel better immediately. Constructive affirmations remind you that your fears are not real. Telling yourself to calm down, breathe and relax will help you relax.
If this isn’t enough, light a scented candle, preferably that containing essential oils. Put on a good CD and listen to music for a few minutes. Sometimes, you just have to regain your balance for everything to make sense again. Don’t let the fear close in on you, and don’t pop an antidepressant every time you feel like the fear is coming back.
I appreciate your articles on managing my anxiety. Always like new things coming up from it.