Anxiety
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When worry takes over
Anxiety means your body is activating your stress response - which can happen when fear and uncertainty are driving the bus.
Anxiety - Stress in the Body
It's that feeling of tightening in your chest, an increased heart rate, or racing thoughts. Your palms may sweat. You may tremble. Sometimes it's severe enough to land you in the emergency department thinking you're having a heart attack.
Our bodies have evolved to activate the stress response to help us ward off danger. This is useful as it helps us fight or flee when we need to, when there is something threatening our safety.
The problem is that our nervous systems can become overactive, and fire off the stress response when we're not really in danger. This can happen when our mind goes to the future. Unfortunately, when our minds shift to an unknown future, they may fill in the uncertainty with a story - and that story often likes to become a "worst case scenario". I like to refer to this as "future spiraling" - because what starts as one imagined outcome often snowballs into a catastrophe of epic proportions.
Fortunately, we can learn strategies to work with our body and mind to alleviate the overactivity of the stress response. It just takes some practice and consistency, ideally before your stress response reaches red alert status.
Tackling Anxiety
Breathing Practices
Breathing Practices
Breathing Practices
Breathing practices are a powerful tool for enhancing physical and mental well-being. By deliberately controlling the breath, individuals can tap into a wide array of benefits.
Access these free breathing practices to help reduce your anxiety.
Physical Activity
Breathing Practices
Breathing Practices
Physical activity can be a game-changer when it comes to managing anxiety. The benefits are pretty impressive.
Exercise releases endorphins, those feel-good chemicals in your brain. Exercise also helps to burn off excess energy and tension. When you're anxious, your body can be in a constant state of alertness. Working out helps to bring it back into balance.
Meditation
Breathing Practices
Meditation
Meditation is a practice that involves observing one's thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the present moment without judgment.
Studies in psychology and neuroscience show that it can have numerous cognitive and emotional benefits.
More Anxiety Resources
Ten Percent Happier
Ten Percent Happier
Ten Percent Happier
Dan Harris of ABC news first began exploring meditaion when he experienced issues with anxiety and panic attacks.
His podcast explores all styles of meditation with renowned teachers, practitioners, and thought leaders. His website also offers training courses, an app, and other resources - including free guided meditations.
Present Moment
Ten Percent Happier
Ten Percent Happier
Jon Kabat-Zinn is a pioneer in bringing mindfulness meditation into mainstream medicine. His work on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has helped countless people find peace and well-being through meditation.
Dr. Kabat-Zinn has several books, videos, and courses on leveraging the present moment.
Building Courage
Ten Percent Happier
Book: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
In the 30-minute podcast linked below, Brene Brown talks about anxiety, over functioning, under functioning, and ways to build courage.
Her book "Daring Greatly" includes a framework for addressing some of the deeper issues that can lead to anxiety.
Book: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
Book: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
Book: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
This book by Dan Harris and Jeff Warren provides a framework for learning to meditate - even if you think "I can't meditate, my mind is too active".
Quick Anxiety-busting Tips
Book: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
Quick Anxiety-busting Tips
These thought leaders shared some quick tips with Oprah for stopping anxiety in it's tracks.
For more inspirational interviews, access Oprah's Super Soul Sunday Conversations.
Podcast Episodes
Book: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
Quick Anxiety-busting Tips
These podcast episodes have some tips on ways to reduce anxiety, let go, and free yourself from a mindset of worry.
Podcasts:
- We can do hard things on overfunctioning. (1 hour)
- Oprah and Eckart Tolle (40 minutes)
- Armchair Experts with Anxiety researcher Tracy Dennis ( ~90 minutes)
- Brene Brown mental health podcasts
- 10% Happier on anxiety.