How to Restore Your Calm During High-Anxiety Situations
Let’s begin this discussion with a truism: It is tough to stay calm in high-anxiety situations. But what happens when life itself feels like a high-anxiety situation?
The past year has challenged each of us in new ways. As a result, for many folks, the concept of calm feels like a pipe dream. A global health disaster, economic crisis, political unrest, and more. Who can stay calm amidst this tsunami of events? Answer: You.
Yes, you can restore your calm despite the stress swirling around us. It begins with recognizing and accepting the presence of anxiety and the need for change.
High-Anxiety Situations and You
The “and you” part is important because anxiety manifests in a unique way for each of us. It looks different from person to person. Even so, there are still some general, universal trends and themes we can identify as related to high-anxiety situations, e.g.
A constant state of hyper-vigilance
Feelings of insecurity, self-doubt, or low self-esteem
Inability to cope with everyday challenges
Racing thoughts
Muscular tension
Panic attacks
Past stress-related coping mechanisms become ineffective or harmful
A looming sense of inadequacy
Feelings of extreme loneliness and sadness that may bring about depression
Unwillingness to talk with others about these and other feelings
As noted, many variations on this theme exist but you probably get the basic idea.
Exposure to high-anxiety situations makes it quite difficult to enjoy life at the present moment. Addressing this scenario requires an ability to know yourself and calm yourself.
3 Ways to Restore Your Calm During High-Anxiety Situations
1. Self-Care
A resilient body and mind are best positioned to ward off the inevitable stress of modern life. Entering such a state requires a simple but consistent commitment to a daily self-care regimen.
Such a routine may include:
Stress management and relaxation techniques – From breathing exercises to aromatherapy to yoga, Tai Chi, and more.
Healthy eating choices – Balanced meals, portion control, properly chewing your food, etc.
Regular sleep patterns – Resiliency is impossible without the right quality and quantity of sleep.
Daily activity and exercise – Your body craves movement and uses it to counterbalance the impact of anxiety.
Interconnectedness – We are social creatures and, even in the age of COVID-19, we must find ways to interact with our trusted support circles.
2. Practice Mindfulness
Anxiety is all about the future. The past is where regret and guilt dwell. To restore calm, you must go to where calm lives: the present.
This is best accomplished by practicing mindfulness, e.g. embracing and experiencing life as it exists at this moment. Meditation is an excellent avenue toward mindful living and learning to focus on your surroundings via your five senses without distraction.
3. Keep a Journal
Self-awareness grounds us in calmness. Keeping a journal enables us to cultivate this awareness.
Use your journal to track triggers, moods, reactions, and calming solutions. The better you know and understand yourself, the less threatening anxiety will be. That journal will also come in mighty handy during your therapy sessions (see below).
You Are Not Alone!
You do not have to endure this struggle on your own, of course. Working with a skilled therapist is a proven path toward restoring your calm. It begins with fostering the aforementioned self-awareness.
In session, your counselor will guide you through the process of becoming aware of your emotions and behavior. Shining a light on your patterns and perspectives will help you challenge whatever is keeping you stuck in the anxiety cycle.
Right now, during the pandemic, we offer a mix of both telehealth and in-person counseling for anxiety treatment. We’re open to whichever option you prefer. Please reach out to learn more about starting this process and restoring your calm.