How to BEAT Anxiety
Anxiety is normal. But, it becomes a problem when it interferes with who you are and what you have to do. We live in the Age of Anxiety: beyond what is normal for anyone.
These tips are not treatment. Just a few skills before you need the pills. If you need professional help, get it. But if you can put these in place, your life will improve. I do all that I can to keep these in place in my life. Daily. In this post, I look at why anxiety is normal, how it works in the brain, why it’s like a monkey, and how you can BEAT it.
Anxiety is normal
In generations gone by, anxiety was caused by snakes and saber-tooth tigers. (And maybe by the rent due on our renovated cave dwelling.) Real fears. But today’s life is packed with anxiety (in our minds) rather than fear (of things which can eat us). Our anxieties comes from deadlines, expectations, the fear of missing out, anxiety due to comparisons, of not being good enough, the fear of failure, of judgment, of being rejected by others, errand paralysis, choice anxiety, climate anxiety, and the gloom cloud of personal responsibility amidst a sea of meaninglessness. Most of these are augmented by social media, screen technology and the internet.
High levels of anxiety have become normal for all of us. “Normal” kids of the 1980s, studies show, were more anxious than kids taken to see a psychiatrist in the 1950s. Since the 1980s anxiety rates have only risen far more. It’s not you. It’s not your genetics. It’s an unfortunate side-effect of the socio-economic progress we have made in the last 50 years.
How anxiety works in your brain
In the brain, the experience of anxiety and fear works to keep you alive. Your amygdala (almond shaped center in the middle of your brain) generates feelings of alarm and arousal, fear and anger. It doesn’t want you to be harmed (thank you). When aroused, it activates your Sympathetic Nervous System and a range of hormones to make your heart race, your breathing shallow, pump blood to your arms and leads, make you tremble and shake and pump fats and sugars into your system to give you added strength for a short burst. All so you can FIGHT or take FLIGHT whatever the threat is.
This is okay for a short while – it may even save your life – but there’s a payoff. Your immune system gets turned back big time, you can’t see the big picture of life, and you‘re an irritable freak for a while. If this happens long-term (and this is happening to most of us) you’re more susceptible to infections and cancers, your thinking becomes cloudy and short-term, you lose sight of life’s meaning and bigger picture, and you may become an irritable freak for longer periods of time. The chronic stress leads to chronic inflammation, fatigue and strange illnesses. That’s why your anxiety needs to be trained. It’s normal, but annoying. Like a monkey.
Anxiety is like a monkey
You can’t get rid of anxiety. It’s here to stay. It even makes like interesting and fun (think ‘exciting’). Also like a monkey. See Disney’s 1992 film Aladdin to experience this idea. In the film, Abu the monkey was the expression of Aladdin’s anxiety. He had to keep it under control as he entered into to Cave of Wonders, confront a giant tiger head that kills people, and get the lamp. He needed courage for this. He needed to keep his annoying anxiety monkey, Abu, quiet. You need to train yours.
How to BEAT anxiety
The best way to train your anxiety monkey is to keep yourself surrounded with close, loving people. That releases oxytocin in your brain to calm your amygdala, stimulate your immune system and clean out your brain to think clearly (this is scientific fact). But what else? You can BEAT anxiety by following the acronym BEAT: Breathe, Exercise, be Aware, and Take Time.
Breathe
Breathing deeply and consciously takes just a few seconds, for focused, silent, physical relaxation. Breathe in. breathe out. Deeply. Just doing this once releases tension. Doing it 3-5 times is better. Do for 30-60 minutes as meditation. Practice deep breathing, meditation or whole-body relaxation every morning or every night even for a few minutes. Your body will build a habit of relaxation. This becomes a habit ‘go-to place’ for when things get stressful during the day. Through breathing, your anxiety monkey learns to be calm (sometimes).
Exercise
Physical exercise is the best way to discharge the energy associated with stress and anxiety. That’s why orchestra conductors live into a ripe old age. They wave their arms around while they work with an orchestra making meaningful, relaxing music. Little stress, big exercise. Chess players, who are engaged in stressful mock mortal combat, just sit there. Chess grandmasters tend to die significantly younger. Why? Big stress, no exercise. Whether you walk, swim, cycle, jog, row or pump iron, it’s all good to release anxiety. Through exercise your anxiety monkey lets go of pent up energy and anxious emotions.
Aware to Accept or Adjust
To be Aware in your mind, just ask yourself: What am I thinking now? What am I feeling now?
When you can answer these two questions, you are aware. Mindful. Then, you can look at what may be causing your stress. Then ask yourself: Is this something I need to Accept? Or can I Adjust? Often a small adjustment can yield big results. Choosing either will calm your anxiety monkey down to find a way forward.
Take Time: Rhythm and Routines
Taking time slows down your anxiety monkey. Monkeys need to slow down (give me a break). You need to slow down, no matter what your job. Take a few slow moments in the morning, straight after work, or for some quiet reflection before bed time. Slow-down moments. These make for a lovely routine, and give your life a nicely balanced rhythm.
Take time for
People.
Tea, coffee, or whatever. By yourself or, better, with others.
Food, art, music, games, sport and nature.
An eat-sleep routine: regular meals, regular sleep
Holidays: a day off weekly, a weekend off monthly, a few weeks yearly.
Periods of boredom to kick leaves and watch the birds (not the screens).
Reflection: on your life, your values, your close people
And Remember …
There’s a reason you want to train your monkey, and to Beat anxiety. You want to
Be the best you that you can be
Be boss in your own brain
Always give yourself choice
Know anxiety is like a monkey, it needs to be trained
Know you are a human being, not a human doing
Know that if you are a driven person, you’re not driving
Not march to society’s Beats; BEAT anxiety.
Not compare yourself with others’ appearances
Realize we’re all carrying 20 extra pounds of anxiety.
Remember that rhythm and routine overcome the chaos
Overcome today’s sabre-tooth tigers: deadlines, loneliness, and despair
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