In our time, a sense of anxiety haunts people from birth. It almost relentlessly follows us, because around us there is an unlimited flow of information, much of which comes from dubious sources and does not carry anything positive. News releases with data on how many people died and how, where the accident occurred, and many more not the best information collections that do not affect our lives in any way, but only increase the level of anxiety. You need to be able to analyze what you read, watch and listen to. It is also helpful to be able to control yourself during an anxiety attack, through breathing exercises or other methods.
Feelings of fear and anxiety
Fear and anxiety “protect” us in life. They are vital. Fear helps us survive, thanks to it we understand what not to do and why petting a scorpion is a bad idea. Anxiety is a person’s reaction to an important specific event, object, phenomenon that is happening or should happen.
But it may be that anxiety or fear becomes pointless and constant, that is, they do not have any reason in their basis, or the reason contrived by a person is not significant and insignificant . This interferes with normal life, forcing us to worry and constantly return mentally to unimportant and distant events that are unlikely, in principle, to ever happen. And then these already painful sensations, as constant internal experiences of a person due to his obsessive thoughts or fantasies, may need the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist.
Quite often also anxious people can be used for manipulation. After all, it is so easy to impose your opinion or provoke to certain actions those who are seized with anxiety and do not know what to do next.
Types of anxiety
Initially, anxiety arose as a result of a long evolution, so it is needed for something. It is divided into personal and situational.
Personal anxiety is formed at the very beginning of human life and performs a very important function: it helps us to survive. Don’t approach strangers, don’t run to cuddle with a lion, and don’t do many other things that can also be dangerous.
And situational anxiety has a slightly different cause. It appears at a specific moment, for example, before an exam or after watching a news release. To get out of an anxious state, you need to bring yourself to a rational level. Ask yourself: “What can happen to me? What am I afraid of? Can I make a difference?” It is worth making a plan of action for yourself in case of the worst turn of events. Maybe not right away, but over time it will calm you down, so you will understand that anxiety is unfounded, and you can cope with any situation.
How to deal with anxiety
When it comes to human psychology, an individual approach is needed, because you can not take all people under one standard. To summarize, the universal advice is to use critical thinking. Analyze the information that comes to you and the context in which it all happens. If we talk about today, then most of the news is disturbing and disappointing. But think about what can happen to you, how this situation can turn out for you, and can you somehow influence what is happening? It is important to give yourself an answer as honestly as possible, explaining everything to yourself. Then, with a fairly high probability, you will get rid of the constant chewing of toxic information, simply by drawing conclusions from it. This is also called the “mental rubber band” effect.
And on the other hand, your negative experiences and increased anxiety are often only your personal attitude to this situation and the perception of it personally only by you.
Many hide from anxiety behind a bottle of alcohol or cigarettes . But this is not the right decision, but rather a dangerous indicator of rising levels of anxiety.
If you notice such actions behind you, you should take a closer look at your “psychological hygiene”. That is, do not go to resources with negative information, do not watch the news and talk less about topics that annoy you with other people. It is necessary to exclude or significantly limit communication with “toxic” people who constantly talk about negative events. And if these people do not want to talk with you on positive or neutral-informative topics and continue to pour out their negativity on you, say goodbye to them quickly and forever.
Anxiety rarely appears on its own, out of nowhere. Its faithful “ambassador” is a continuous external flow of not the most useful information and our wonderful “positive” news. Dealing with such pressure requires considerable self-control and an excellent ability to filter and analyze information. A simpler and better solution would be to simply stop this thread. Turn off the TV, log out of Facebook, close the news site. This does not mean that you will immediately turn into a Neanderthal who does not understand where he is and what kind of political regime is in the country now. Really important news will not bypass you, no matter how hard you try. But a selection of stories about car accidents and possible threats to the safety of citizens are not at all necessary. Unless, of course, you want to forget about peace and “enjoy” anxiety.
When the body is under stress, adrenaline and norepinephrine are released. They helped our ancestors and help us escape from a dangerous situation. The body reacts in one of three ways: hit, run, freeze. Muscles come into a state of readiness for resistance, tensing as much as possible. You can use this to take control of yourself. Just tighten your muscles even more, as hard as you can. This will make them relax after a while, because they simply cannot be so tense for so long, and you will begin to control yourself better again.
During an anxiety attack, the body immediately lets you know about it by accelerating the heartbeat and changing breathing. To pull yourself together and control your own behavior again, you need to turn to your own breathing. Consciously regulate it by taking slow deep breaths. This will help you gradually “come to your senses”. And so, little by little, starting with breathing, you will realize that you are in control of yourself. Be aware of yourself here and now, in this particular moment.
What can help you deal with anxiety?
Psychologists recommend drinking a cup of hot tea or warm milk and covering yourself with a blanket that will help you feel the boundaries of your own body. These tactile sensations are reminiscent of hugs, add comfort and will be very useful in this state.
Get yourself some good habits that will bring you back to a calm state. For example, set aside time every morning to take your time to drink coffee, watch a good and calm movie or listen to pleasant music before going to bed, take a walk in the evening, walk a few stops home. Do any regular activities that will help you return to the “here and now” state, feel better.
Of course, anxiety can be useful when it comes to survival. But in the modern world, people are less likely to have to fight for life with a lion or hunt mammoths. Nowadays, we are anxious before an exam, a date, or after watching the TV news.
Now that you know about the causes of anxiety and how to deal with it, try to cope with it so that this unpleasant feeling becomes at least a little more controllable.
But if anxiety persists, perhaps the right decision is to turn to a psychologist or psychotherapist, they will help rationalize your feelings and develop protective mechanisms. You do not need to use any sedatives on your own. It is better to do this only after consulting a doctor, if he deems it necessary to prescribe them to you.