The Experience of Anxiety
An experience I had caused me to ask the question what are some techniques for dealing with anxiety? Several years ago, for some reason, I developed this weird sensation in my legs. I called it the “Jimmy Legs” because I think I heard that in a movie or something.
Anyway, this feeling would hit my legs when I was laying down to go to bed and I would feel a uncontrollable need to exercise them. Like I needed to work my legs out, stretch them or something.
Some nights I felt like I should just go out and run three miles to tire them out so I could sleep. I would stretch them out and do the squats but a few minutes after I finished, the anxiety would return and I found it difficult to sleep.
Once a trip somewhere, I remember seeing a “restless legs center” and I realized there was an actual name for this malady. I guess I was lucky because my symptoms eventually went away and I don’t really know why they came and why they went.
Now, however, occasionally I feel an uneasy sense of frustration and worry. A discomfort. A feeling as if I’m looking for something but I don’t know what it is and I don’t know where to find it. It’s kind of like the Jimmy legs for my whole self. [perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]My heart races a bit. My mind is buzzing thinking about all the things that need to be done.[/perfectpullquote]
Anxiety.
It’s odd because I’m not an anxious person and I consider myself pretty laid back, but every so often I feel it. My heart races a bit. My mind is buzzing thinking about all the things that need to be done. I can’t sleep and feel like I should get up and do something but I don’t know what to do.
Defining Anxiety
Anxiety or worry is a normal response to stress in our lives but it can become overwhelming in some instances and even disrupt our quality of life. There is a medical diagnosis for a steady all-over anxiety. It’s called Generalized Anxiety Disorder and it has symptoms that include:
- severe worry
- muscle tension
- anticipating disasters
- difficulty sleeping
- irritability
- difficulty concentrating
Research shows that about 7 million American adults suffer from GAD with twice as many women affected as men.
GAD is more than a small concern and the causes for it are complex to determine and can come from a combination of genetic, behavioral, and developmental factors.
I also know of people who experience anxiety based upon past experiences that have formed neurological networks which trigger unconsciously when something happens in their life.
For example, someone smells something that takes them back to a traumatic experience from their past and feelings of anxiety come upon them without their awareness. The trigger happens and they start feeling the symptoms.
Maybe you’ve felt similar feelings. And maybe for you, these feelings are more often than just on occasion. How can we deal with worry and what strategies can we use to cope with anxious feelings?
Techniques for Dealing With Anxiety
Of course there are medications that can be prescribed in circumstances where a medical diagnosis is made but there are some techniques that we can use in some of the milder cases that we all experience. These mental techniques involve training our brains to think in intentional ways rather than unconsciously operating on past conditioning.
1. Mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the ability to be present, to be aware of what we are feeling, what we are doing, and the emotions we are experiencing.
We all have the capability to be mindful, but deeper mindfulness takes some mental training and development.
Based upon the neurological principles of neuroplasticity, mindfulness training can even begin to rewire our brains and restructure our thinking patterns.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, the creator of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), defines mindfulness like this:
“the awareness that arises through paying attention on purpose in the present moment non-judgmentally in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”
Mindfulness allows us to become aware — to become present to our situation and what we are feeling in order to cope with it in a safe and effective way. Here are some basics of mindfulness practice:
- Observe your present moment as it is without judgment. This practice is not an emptying of the mind, but rather an observation of your experience without making any judgments about it. Simply observing your feelings and your situation.
- Throw your judgments away. Often, when practicing mindfulness, you will be tempted to make judgments about things. Accept them for what they are and move back to the moment of observation.
- Allow your mind to wander — as you think about things, try to turn your attention to observing what you are doing when you are thinking about those things. Try to focus on the act of thinking rather than what you are thinking about.
Mindfulness is about noticing the sensations and things that are happening to us that typically escape our conscious awareness.
It is turning our attention to our present moment and developing an awareness to the things that happen beyond our conscious awareness. Mindfulness can help to reduce our stress levels and deal with our anxiety.
Here’s a five minute guide to try that can take you through some of the beginning steps to develop greater mindfulness.
2. Meditation or prayer.
For centuries, meditation and prayer as spiritual disciplines have been practiced to move beyond our material context and connect with the spiritual.
Unfortunately in our culture, the spiritual world has been rejected as an imaginary experience that acts as a crutch for weak minded people. This thinking prevents us from accessing a practice that has great benefits.
Meditation allows us to deal with stress and take charge of our emotions. Stanford University researcher Emma Seppala states “Studies have shown [meditation] improved ability to regulate emotions in the brain.”
Meditation can also improve our concentration and help to develop our focus. It increases our happiness and helps to develop our self-awareness.
Particularly for our concern, meditation helps to induce relaxation. A 2008 study in the American Journal of Hypertension even showed that meditation helped to reduce blood pressure.
Meditation and prayer as spiritual practices can also help to cope with anxiety. Often, our worries have to do with things and circumstances which are beyond our control.
Prayer connects us to a higher power and help us to deal with and release concerns that are outside of our control. In fact, research shows that not only do prayer and spiritual practice reduce stress, but they can slow the aging process, reduce anxiety and depression, and even change the way we perceive reality.
3. Focus on the positive.
My own personal experience is that when I focus my thoughts and attention on positive things, it helps to reduce my anxiety and fears.
Having an attitude of thankfulness for the important things that I have in life helps me to be less concerned with worrying about the things I don’t have.
Other research show how positive thinking broadens our thoughts and promotes the discovery of creative actions, ideas and social bonds which then build our personal resources. These resources serve as reserves that we can draw upon to deal with our anxieties and fears. [perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]As a man thinks in his heart, so is he[/perfectpullquote]
Positive thinking and having a sense of gratitude are incredibly beneficial, can help us to think differently, and help us to conquer our anxiety.
These practices all have to do with adjusting the way we think about life. When we transform our thinking we can transform how we live.
As the saying goes: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” And so when we change our thinking, we change who we are. (here’s an article on how positive thinking makes you happier)
If you’re interested in learning more about transforming your thinking and transforming your life, tune in to the Mind For Life podcast. This podcast explores how we think with an effort to transform that thinking into more constructive patterns that will benefit our lives.
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