For the Sensitive Souls

Sensitive souls: What to do when Anxiety hits.
Are you feeling anxious?

 It’s more common than you think. You’re not alone, despite what the mind may tell you. Due to the current climate and happenings in the world, anxiety is something many of us are experiencing. But even before the global pandemic hit, anxiety could've been part of one's life. We all experience it throughout our lives, nervousness, anticipation, overthinking and anxiety are all human emotions, but when they interfere with one's ability to function adequately or become very consistent without peaks and troughs it can be something to seek support for. Anxiety or panic disorders effects do not have to be debilitating or destructive, they can be managed. It may have been with you for a while, or something that's grown due to the present happenings. Although environment and external factors can influence our anxiety and how we feel in general, internal factors are the crux of feeding how we feel and behave. The mind is where our thoughts are rooted and begin. So much of what we become anxious about is out of control, or irrationally developed in our minds, it’s when we accept this that we are able to learn ways to manage and keep it at bay. We cannot control everything, but we can manage how we respond.

What is anxiety?

Heightened sensitivity. It’s a response that’s essential for survival. When a threat becomes apparent, our body sends us into a fight or flight mode to be able to deal with the threat. Our body is incredibly intelligent, it reacts so we can respond quickly in those times of need. This is helpful if a tiger is running towards us, but not so much when our brain perceives something to be a threat, when in reality it isn’t. That’s where the anxiety comes in, an overestimation of threat partnered with an underestimation of our own ability to cope in certain circumstances.

How do you continue on from a place of anxiety?

Your thoughts are part of you, they do not control you, it’s about being able to acknowledge when you brain is being sensitive to those ‘threats’ that it doesn’t have to be. We all have different triggers and different reasons behind why we become anxious, environmental, withdrawal, genetics, hormones and chemical signals can all play a part. Our anxiety as humans is fed by the world we live in. In a fast pace environment, it’s common for that pace to have a direct effect on the pace of your own mind.

What are the symptoms and some helpful tips?

Managing anxiety takes accepting its presence. In playing a vital part in survival, it’s not about getting rid of it, but managing it. You may get shortness of breath, difficulty in engaging or concentrating, a feeling of shutting down, irritability, tension, need reassuring, withdrawal, sense of pressure or danger, claustrophobia, sweating, trembling, weakness, alertness, lack of sleep, stomach problems, extreme butterflies or knots. Although it can appear suddenly, considering what may have triggered the feeling can be helpful, the more you can understand and bond with potential triggers and existing thought patterns, the easier it’ll then be to manage or shift them to assist calm.
Breathe deep, in and out. Slow. Not demanding control, because that may result in a greater anxiety, a sense that you are trapped and restricted to a certain breathing pattern. Just freely and slowly. Let your feelings in rather than resisting them, they are worthy even if they aren’t rooted in reality or truth. Don’t try to push them away, in fighting the anxiety it’ll only put on its boxing gloves and try to fight back. Breathe it in and acknowledge it, accept that that’s the feeling you are currently experiencing and it may be an inconvenience but it’s still welcome to the party.
I find it helpful to close your eyes initially and focus on the breath to bring my mind back to the present. I then tune into my senses, what’s with me in the present. Calm acknowledgement of what’s here. Breathe it all in. ‘This too shall pass’ helps me, it reminds me that I can never be stuck in any situation and like feelings, moments and time, the anxiety will pass eventually. I often cool myself in getting some fresh air or a cold flannel, when bringing the heat out of my body I can help to bring to the heat out of my mind.
Although it can appear randomly, it’s more likely to rise if I ignore my body and what it needs in terms of rest and care. It’s often a sign that something needs to change, whether it be my thoughts or behaviour, something is overwhelming my system. It often takes stepping back as an observer to identify if we’re demanding or expecting too much, or if we’re letting our thoughts dictate reality.

What if I cannot help myself alone?

Asking for help is not a weakness but a huge strength. You are not weak for needing help, we all need guidance and support at times and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, when it comes to health and well-being nothing is shameful. Talking and sharing is a release. Don’t be afraid to ask or reach out, stopping on your path and taking a little detour will do no harm. I like to think of it as stopping off at the services for some goodies on a long drive, it only makes the rest of the drive more comforting.
Anxiety isn’t all bad. You may suffer with anxiety, but you are not anxiety. We are often told that being sensitive is being weak. But being sensitive isn’t a bad thing. It means you can experience the highs, as high as the lows may be low. All of your emotions have the potential to be as intense as your anxiety may be. Love, passion, ecstasy, excitement, thrill, desire, curiosity, happiness, contentment, joy, gratitude, hope, inspiration, awe, serenity, pride, your capacity is endless. Your feelings may be intense, but that’s no bad thing.
Overtime you get to know your triggers, the signs and how to manage it. Hold onto the fact that once you get through the first experience of anxiety or a panic attack, although it doesn’t make any future times easier, it does teach you that it’ll pass eventually. You survived it then, so nothing is to stop you surviving another if it’s to come along.
Change and unknown can be daunting, but they’re also what makes life exciting. The present is all we have, we can prepare or consider what’s to come, but we cannot always predict. We can only live in what’s now and be reassured by the fact we are never alone.