Original Insights - Issue #7
"Monsters don't sleep under your bed;
they sleep inside your head."
- Unknown
Greetings!
As Halloween approaches, it feels timely to focus on the most common monster in our heads...ANXIETY. The little guys in the picture are kind of cute, eh? However, they become rather uncute when they show up repeatedly in personal growth work--am I a monster for not caring/caring? for judging someone? for thinking an "ugly" thought? for that moment of schadenfreude? for wanting what I want? for that mistake I made in my 20s? For the parts of me that I rarely...no, never...share?
And then there are the monsters all around us, invoking fear and terror--the election outcome, the pandemic, the authoritarian boss you work for, the parent on a tirade. These days it is easy to convince ourselves that the world is a very scary place.
We all have monsters in our heads. Talking smack. Keeping us small. Criticizing how we do things. Reminding us of our weaknesses. Making the world around us terrifying. These monsters contribute to our experience of anxiety.
Anxiety is a reaction to a stressful or dangerous situation. It is normal, and even healthy, to experience some level of stress and worry. However, even prior to the pandemic, our sympathetic nervous systems were over-evolved, sling-shotting us into a survival response even when no immediate threat existed.
Many of us--high functioning educators especially--were already operating with an elevated baseline in the anxiety department. Layer on top of this baseline the pandemic and our cultural reckoning with racial injustice, and our nervous systems are facing unprecedented (I am tired of this word...) demands.
FIVE TIPS for MANAGING ANXIETY TODAY
Stop thinking. Logic and reason can rarely convince a reactive brain to downshift. (Think: Never in the history of calming down has anyone calmed down from being told to calm down.) Back burner the cognitive and go for physical, tangible, experiential strategies. Remember your 5 senses!
Go outside. Whether you go for a full on forest bath in the Japanese tradition (Time Magazine story here) or just step outside to feel the change in light, temperature and scenery, if you change your physical state (warm to cold, dark to sunny), your body will respond.
Move your body. Have a dance party. Go for a walk. Shoot some hoops. Do the hokey pokey. Shift the stuck/restless/nervous energy. This is a clip I have used recently to invite dancing. It comes with the bonus of laughter!
Connect with someone. Humans need touch and we are hard-wired for connection. Hug someone for 20 seconds--this is an evidence based strategy! If you do not have a willing and available hug buddy, give yourself a foot massage. Just placing your hand on your heart while you take some deep breaths can restore a feeling of calm and connection.
Understand your own fear signature. Some of us are fighters. Some are flee-ers. Some of us freeze or faint. The brilliant Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks has captured these fear profiles and developed a corresponding body action to soothe your unique expression of fear. Watch this short video to add Dr. Hendricks' trademark Fear Melters to your repertoire.
If you feel your anxiety is taking over your life-- keeping you from sleeping, interfering with daily activities, causing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please seek the support of a professional. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Though I do not provide emergency mental health services, I am happy to speak with you about non-emergent matters. Schedule a free call anytime. Just to talk.
We made it through October. Bravo! Next month's theme.... gratitude!
I see you.
Shine On,
Dr. Sara Knickerbocker
Chief Empowerment Officer