Anxiety

Today’s Teaching is from Counselor, Bethany McGuire:

The most common mental illness in the US, affecting nearly 1/3 of adolescents and adults.
Biological threat response – a natural reaction if:
- Proportional to context
- Time-limited
Can become disruptive to life
- Irrational and/or out of proportion
- Situational avoidance
- Numbing/distraction (emotional avoidance)
- Panic attacks
Often linked to depression
- Feeling hopeless/overwhelmed
- Feeling numb/empty
Some possible signs of anxiety:
- Biological: Shortness of breath, digestive upset, tight muscles, headaches, heart racing, sleeplessness, hot or cold
- Psychological: Rumination, compulsive behaviors or thoughts, worry, phobias, avoidance of emotions/situations, intrusive memories
- Social: Withdrawal, inflexibility/control, people-pleasing
- Spiritual: Perfectionism, feeling ashamed/unworthy, discomfort with lack of control in life, legalism (e.g., trying to earn God’s approval)

Biological –

Exercise – helps raise serotonin levels in your brain, i.e. it makes you happier
Limit/eliminate caffeine
Limit alcohol
Hydrate – plenty of water each day
Get plenty of rest (8 hours of sleep whenever possible)
Diet – eat healthy, unprocessed foods; avoid excess sugar
Consider natural supplements such as magnesium, theanine (green tea), and GABA
Some people benefit from medication for anxiety, though it is ideally not meant to be a long term solution

Psychological –

Breathing
- Anxiety tends to create rapid breathing, not enough oxygen
- Deep, slow breathing can calm your body, including your brain
- Breathe with belly, not chest
- Inhale/pause/exhale longer than inhale (count if needed)
Breathing exercises – Box Breathing/Mind Dump
5 to 1 Sensory Grounding exercise
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Calm, Safe place exercise
Gratitude practice
Practicing mindfulness – internal and external awareness
Become aware of automatic negative thoughts and begin to challenge those (Take your thoughts captive! 2 Cor. 10:5)
Journaling or other creative/expressive outlets
Leave space (margin) in your schedule – do not over-commit yourself
Process any unresolved, past trauma with EMDR or other proven trauma therapies

Social –

Be in community versus isolation
Spend quality time with friends and loved ones
Reach out to someone who can help
- Family member or friend
- Pastor or mentor
- Counselor
- Crisis Line (if in danger of hurting yourself) 1-800 -273-TALK
Give yourself a break from social media regularly – Unplug!!
Practice healthy communication and conflict resolution skills