How to cope with Anxiety
Anxiety is the most common symptom in this society. In the last three years, there are more people who have struggled with anxiety because of the pandemic. Actually, anxiety is a natural emotion for survival. The proper level of anxiety helps us protect from danger and threat situations by giving strength and energy.
When you recognize a dangerous situation, your body initiates fight or flight response as a meaning of helping you. The part of the brain that activates fight or flight response is a small almond -shaped part called the amygdala.
Amygdala
If you see something that threatens you, your amygdala tells your body to panic. it is a good response if the danger is real, but it’s not helpful when your flight or fight response keeps turning on even if there is no actual danger, it becomes an anxiety disorder.
Prefrontal cortex that reduce anxiety
There is a different part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. It seems to reduce the signals coming from the amygdala. That is the brakes on the amygdala. When the panic hits you, your prefrontal cortex figures out whether the fear response is proper or not, and helps you choose a reasonable reaction.Patients who are damaged to the prefrontal cortex are more likely to experience anxiety disorder.
If you activate and strengthen the function of the prefrontal cortex through training, you can deal with the overreacting of the amygdala.
Build not only your body muscles, but also the brain muscle.Here are effective ways to reduce Anxiety
1. Be aware anxiety
Anxiety is a natural emotion that helps your survival and safety by preparing you to get out of dangerous situations. When you try to ignore or suppress anxiety, it starts getting worse and worse. Therefore you need to be aware of the moment that you start to feel anxious.
If you are aware of your emotions, you are able to find a proper way to be calm.
2. Take control of your breathing, not your emotion or thoughts.
It is very difficult to control your emotions and thoughts especially when you get anxious. It is much easier to take control of your body. You can control your body through deep breathing. That is the most practical way to encourage the amygdala to remain calm.
3. Organize your day
Disorganization can result in multiple stressor and anxiety. When you waste your time you feel guilty and it causes stress and regret. It makes you lose self- control and eventually become vulnerable.The more you organize your day , the better you can manage your emotions.
4. Practice Concentration skill
Developing the ability of setting goals and maintaining concentration helps not only
support the lack of the brain capacity, but also improve decision making skill.
The part of your brain responsible for concentration and setting goals is your prefrontal cortex. If you struggle with staying focused, use pomodoro technique.
All those activities contribute to reducing chronic anxiety by strengthening the prefrontal cortex.Taking care of your mind is the first step you should learn. The more you practice these techniques, the better you will be pacing the stressor and anxiety.
-Coach Troy
