Nadine’s ‘Open Door’: How to Manage Your Anxiety By Nadine Frankel, LCSW write how you reacted and what you did to deal with it. This will help you determine the roots of your anxiety, and allow you to take appropriate steps to reduce or manage it. Develop a plan to address the specific worries you’ve written down. For example, if you’re constantly worrying about finances, set up a budget or savings plan. Tackle one or two worries at a time. Once you’ve completed those, go on to the next one on your written or mental list. This taskoriented process will give you a feeling of satisfaction, and make you feel less vulnerable, and more in control All of us worry to some degree of your life. about things like work, school, Change what you can to help you home, and our social lives. With feel more comfortable with present common news of violent events concerns, but let go of past problems and the uncertainty of the econo- or things you cannot change. Alter my, it’s understandable that many your perception of the stressful event. consider worst-case scenarios and Our minds and bodies are highly inexperience anxiety related to it. terconnected. Although it takes paWhile a little bit of worry can be a tience and persistence, we have good thing, excessive angst can the ability to change our perspecbe paralyzing, unproductive, and tive from a negative one to a more self-defeating. It can be linked to positive one. The brain is an adaptive headaches, upset stomach, back organ, and it’s possible to break out pain, and trouble sleeping. It can of the negative mode. The first step also weaken your immune system, is to notice when the negativity starts making it harder to fight off dis- bouncing around in your mind. Next, ease. If you already have a health learn how to talk to yourself in a conproblem, stress may make it worse. structive and rational manner. What It can make you moody, tense, or would you say to a dear and beloved depressed. Your relationships will of- friend in this instance? Try saying the ten suffer, and you may struggle at same thing to yourself. This process work or school. is a hallmark of cognitive-behavioral So how do you know whether you therapy. have an anxiety disorder neces- In the absence of realistic feedback, sitating treatment, or if they’re just we often spin some fairly creative “ordinary” fears? The symptoms of doomsday scenarios. If something is each are similar, but people with troubling you, get the reassurance an anxiety disorder experience the and reality checks you need. Consult symptoms more frequently and someone you trust – a friend, family are more debilitated by them. The member, therapist, or a religious adworrying significantly interferes with visor, for example. Anxiety often diwork, school or social activities. The minishes when we share our worries, distress is perceived as out of one’s and practical solutions to problems control, and the fears are disturbing emerge in the course of the converand pervasive. Three or more physi- sation. cal or psychological symptoms ocExercise is one of the best self-treatcur with the worrying (such as sleep ments for anxiety available. It doesn’t problems, irritability, tense muscles, matter whether you go for a walk, difficulty concentrating, fatigue or join an aerobics class, dance, or play restlessness), and they persist for at tennis. Whenever one of those cycles least six months. of ruminative worry hit, even simple Here are some practical tips to help activity – minor housecleaning, a few you start managing your anxiety: minutes of gardening, some simple The first step is to identify your pat- stretches, even just getting up and terns. What specific triggers are walking around for five minutes – can linked to your anxiety? Notice what help jog you out of that negative sets your anxiety in motion. Once feedback loop. you bring it into the forefront of your consciousness, you can begin to make sense of it and address it. Keeping a stress journal may help. Get a notebook, and write down when something makes you feel stressed and overwhelmed. Then A number of breathing techniques can help alleviate anxiety. Many people find that when they’re anxious, they breathe shallowly, from the upper chest – and when breathing is shallow and fast, the body responds with an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones. In really bad moments, some might even be holding their breath. Instead, take a few moments and simply notice your breathing patterns. After a few breathing cycles, take a deep breath. Let your belly be relaxed, and breathe from your lower abdomen. Repeat. Use this technique any time you notice that you’re tense or worried. Meditation and prayer trigger a relaxation response, helping calm the mind and body. Even the simplest of prayers or affirmations can help you let go of a worry and put everyday problems into perspective. out and do something you enjoy instead, such as going to a funny movie or out for coffee with a friend. If you believe that you are suffering from an Anxiety Disorder, and are unable to manage it, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Anxiety Disorders are generally treated with psychotherapy, medication or both. In upcoming columns, I’ll address more specific anxiety disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder, how to recognize and manage panic attacks, and a number of phobias, including fear of public speaking. Use discretion with television, news- In the meantime, take this opportupapers, and other sources of news. nity to begin the New Year with enOf course, it’s important to know joyment – and fewer anxieties. what’s going on in the world, but •••••••• our current culture, “all news, all the Editors Note: Nadine Frankel, time,” highlighting the latest disaster LCSW is a local resident with years of experience in social work. She in endless replays, can easily trigger conducts individual and group or feed anxiety. psychotherapy. Each month, she’ll Many people turn to alcohol, drugs, caffeine, nicotine, or food as shortterm solutions for their anxiety. The problem is that self-medicating with these substances only creates more complications in the long run and frequently increases the anxiety. Get address meaningful and poignant subjects from depression to substance abuse to loneliness and more, in her Local Luxuries column, ‘Nadine’s Open Door.’ Her column is further meant to be, “… an invitation for readers to pose questions regarding events, relationships and experiences, so that advice can be offered to benefit those who read (her) column.” She welcomes and encourages your feedback. Contact her at [email protected].