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Gwen Brehm

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Anxiety Part 2: Surviving the moment

Part 2 in a series on Anxiety. I want to give you some suggestions for reducing your anxiety.  I know that it can be overwhelming when anxiety rushes in, but there are some things that can be useful to you in the moment as well as preventatively.  When therapists treat anxiety we tend to focus on some basic skills that can be addressed, then we move into more specific issues.

Here are the basics:

  1. Reduce intake of caffeine and stimulants.
  2. Eat healthy food and make sure you are not trying an all protein diet, you need carbohydrates to make your brain function properly.
  3. Take 10-20 minutes each day to practice some relaxation or meditation.  You can do this in small increments of 5 minutes each. One long period would be useful as well.
  4. Decrease time on electronics.  They tend to be over-stimulating, and reduce the amount of time you watch the news.  I would even recommend you skip the news.  If there is something really outstanding to know your friends and family will probably alert you.
  5. Sleep 7-9 hours a day.  Take a nap if you can.
  6. Exercise!  Walking for 15 minutes each day can significantly improve your brain functioning and lower your anxiety.
  7. Eliminate alcohol or decrease it significantly.  Though it may feel relaxing in the moment, alcohol actually is a central nervous system depressant.  It doesn’t always increase your depression but it will depress the functioning of your brain.
  8. Stay in touch with family and friends for support.  Make a list of those who you can talk to when you are upset.

Here are skills that can be used in the moment when anxiety arises:

  • Read a book, watch a movie, go for a walk.   If you are at work go to the bathroom and sit for a moment while you practice some deep breathing.
  • Call a friend and talk about something other than what is bothering you.
  • Take long deep relaxing breaths, noticing how the air comes in with each inhale and leaves with each exhale.
  • Intense exercise: run in place or do jumping jacks, this will override the emotion.
  • Place your hand over your heart and feel the warmth and comfort this brings.  You may also want to follow that with a meditation to soothe you.
  • Find a tea or another food item that you enjoy that you can use for soothing.
  • Listen to soft relaxing music.
  • Take a warm bath or shower.
  • Snuggle up to a cozy pet.

When it comes to dealing with the anxiety-producing thoughts it is helpful to make a list of thoughts that occur when you are anxious.  Then spend some time changing those thoughts to something that is more reasonable or realistic.  This is where a good friend or a therapist can come in to help you identify those thoughts and make them more effective and rational.

For long-term more significant help, we suggest meditation and mindfulness. One of my favorite programs is Mindful Self-Compassion.  This has been researched to show the effectiveness for anxiety.  And it is a lovely way to decrease depression and insecurity.

Some of my favorite books related to changing thoughts about anxiety are:

Mind Over Mood, by Dennis Greenberger, PhD and Christine Padesky, PhD

The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, by Edmund Bourne, PhD

Let me know if you need more ideas.  I am always happy to help!

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Anxiety Part 1: Fighting voices in your head?

Part 1 in a series on Anxiety.

Fighting with voices of worry, insecurity, leading to a lot of anxiety?

Trouble taking tests?

Tend to choke when you need to perform at your best?

These are a lot of the problems that people with ongoing anxiety tend to complain about.  Sometimes we have these problems randomly even when we don’t have ongoing issues. So what is there to do about this?  Are you interested in overcoming anxious thoughts and getting past road blocks to performance?

I will be addressing these issues in the next couple of newsletters.  There are a variety of ways to manage anxiety, or even get past it all together.  Over the next three weeks we will explore the latest research and skills that are being used.

Today’s article is by Dr. Kristen Neff, exploring the use of Mindful Self-Compassion.  The ability to be kind to ourselves and cope with anxiety is one the many reasons I have fallen in love with MSC and the meditations and skills that are taught.  Hope you will read this and if you would like to learn these skills, go here.

Click here to read the article by Dr. Neff.

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Compassion Week Houston 2016

Dr. Kristen Neff, professor at University of Texas and researcher in self-compassion kicked off Compassion Week in Houston in 2016 at our luncheon.  Over 200 people were introduced to the research and science behind the practice of mindful self-compassion.  Gwen Brehm was the chair woman for the event and CMBH assisted in coordinating the details.

 

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9/11 Memorial Experience

To commemorate those who lost their lives on 9/11 Compassionate Houston set up a memorial experience involving art related to compassion around the terrible experience of that day in 2001. A poster project with specific untold stories of compassion was presented and the poet laureate spoke shared a poetry reading.  The event was held in the gardens at Christ Chapel in Houston and CMBH assisted in presenting as well as selling t-shirts and raising awareness of the work of compassion in Houston.