Maybe you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or anxious about your career, finances, or your health and relationships. Your anxiety seems to be getting worse and you’re afraid you’ll always feel this way. You wish you could stop worrying about the future so much. Sound familiar?
As a therapist, I work with people struggling to manage stress and anxiety, people who feel like they’re living on a rollercoaster of emotions! And chances are, you’ve felt that way too at some point. But I assure you that you are not alone–anxiety is the most common mental health challenge people face worldwide.
Understanding Anxiety vs. Stress
First, let’s take a moment to clarify what anxiety is and how it differs from stress. We’ve all experienced stress. In fact, our bodies, particularly our brains and nervous systems, evolved to be able to effectively respond to stress. Stress can even be motivating at times, helping us to meet deadlines and respond to challenges. While stress can be brought on by a variety of things, including work, relationships, finances, or health problems, because it is brought on by an event or set of circumstances, it often goes away when that situation ends or soon after.
On the other hand, anxiety is not related to a specific situation or event, and generally includes excessive worry, overthinking, and keeps you up at night. It is important to note that sometimes what starts as stress in response to a particular situation, if not managed, can expand into a persistent feeling of fear and dread, affect sleep, and cause physical symptoms of headaches, muscle tension, as well as digestive problems.
This can make daily tasks difficult and exacerbate other health issues like depression and reliance upon substances to relax, so it really is vital that we learn to effectively manage stress and anxiety.
Seeking the Lighthouse in the Storm
Now, the good news is that anxiety does not have to be a permanent issue. There are options, my friend! You see, I’ve spent two decades delving into holistic approaches to emotional well-being and resilience, and here’s the golden nugget of wisdom I’ve discovered: meditation and mind-body practices are like lighthouses guiding you through the storm of anxiety.
Meditation isn’t about magically making your worries disappear. Instead, it’s your trusty lifeboat, helping you navigate the turbulent waters of your mind. By cultivating mindfulness and awareness, meditation lets you observe your anxious thoughts without getting swept away by them.
Holistic mind-body approaches? Think of these as your anchor. They ground you in the present, helping you reconnect with your body and its inner wisdom. When practiced regularly, these techniques can ease muscle tension, slow down your racing heart, and soothe that nervous energy.
And, you don’t have to be a seasoned meditation master or a yogi who can twist into a pretzel to tame anxiety. In the upcoming posts, we’ll dive deeper into these holistic approaches, breaking them down into easy-to-follow steps. Rest assured, these practices do not need to be elaborate or intimidating–I teach meditation, breathing techniques, and mind-body integration for the everyday person.
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