Anxious? Ask these questions.

Everyone gets worried and nervous at times. But it seems more and more people are battling anxiety, a persistent, generalized fear. That’s just not the place we’re meant to live. While there isn’t a formula or quick fix for anxiety, there are some questions to ask yourself to slow down your anxious mind.

Do I have all the information?

Anxious minds are good for freaking out prematurely. This is because they’re proficient in anticipating disaster before it arrives. Anxious minds react to imagined possibilities, but calm minds respond to what’s before them. Calm minds deal with facts and the reality of what is, not what might be. Therefore, it’s good practice to shift from an emotional mind state to a logical mind state by asking if you have enough information to reach certain feared conclusions.

Will anxiety change the outcome?

The next good question to ask yourself is whether or not your worry will change the outcome. If you’re waiting for test results, wondering where you stand in a relationship, or looking for a call or email about a job, will your worry and rumination do anything to change the outcome? No. Probably not. At that point, it’s out of your hands. It’s important, then, to learn to calm and soothe that anxiety because it won’t change your situation.

What can I do?

A final question to ask is whether or not there’s anything you can do. A big part of managing anxiety is about discerning your locus of control. The big, scary thing might be out of your control, but you can usually find one or two things within your control. Maybe it’s getting more information on what concerns you. Maybe it’s distracting yourself until things play out. Maybe it’s reaching out for support. Maybe it’s reflecting on what the real fear, the one underlying the obvious fear, is. If you realize you’re equipped to handle the underlying fear, then the surface level fear doesn’t pack as much punch.

I think most would agree the world can be scary and life can be unpredictable. That’s enough to make any of us fearful at least sometimes. Fear is normal and even adaptive depending on what’s happening. It can also get in the way when it emerges too often and impedes our ability to function. When it does you can regain control by asking these three questions, knowing you can handle whatever the answers might be.

I do hard things

I don’t know who the first person to say this was, but I love this mantra. I do hard things. It’s simple. It’s strong. It echoes a hardiness that’s rare these days.

In thinking about resilience do you ever wonder what makes people mentally strong? What helps them rebound when they’re knocked down? While there aren’t definitive answers to these questions, there are some helpful perspectives that allow people to cope effectively when the going gets tough.

Stuff happens

Similar to, I do hard things, Stuff happens is another simple and helpful saying. Think of how easy it is to act surprised when challenges come. We act like we’re being personally attacked. We question the reasons for misfortune, which only heaps more suffering on us. Resilient people, however, accept that good and bad are part of life for everyone. They don’t believe God is picking on them or turning a blind eye to their hardship. They believe they’re just journeying through a not-so-fun part of the human experience right now. It might stink, but they know it won’t always be this way.

Change is inevitable

Knowing things won’t always be this way might be comforting or disturbing depending on your life at the moment. If you’re struggling, then the promise of change might be the only thing keeping you going. If you’re content with things, the notion of change could feel threatening. Unfortunately, there’s no cosmic remote that allows you to fast forward beyond hard stuff and pause on the good stuff. The story of our lives is constantly unfolding at its own pace and twists and turns are part of it. Nothing lasts forever on this side of eternity and learning to embrace change can help you navigate all seasons of life.

You CAN

Lastly, you can endure the changes of life resiliently when you believe you can. You can even and you can deal. When you insist on things going a certain way and believe that you can’t handle it if they don’t, then you’re setting yourself up for a meltdown. The reality is you might not like what you’re facing. It might be extremely uncomfortable. But when you have the mindset that (enter in whatever your biggest fear is) happening would be the absolute worst thing in the world and you would never recover, then guess what? You’re less likely to recover. When you face that big scary thing if it happens, feel all the icky feelings associated with it, and decide for yourself that you can overcome, then guess what? You overcome. Hence, why they say whether you believe you can or you can’t, either way you’re right.

Life is a mixed bag and we all know it. It’s mundane, messy, and magical all in one. But we’re made for it. Think about it. Our lives are about growing and transforming into the best version of ourselves we can be. Sure, that growth might come from the magically delicious times when we’re walking on sunshine and everything’s going our way. More often than not, real character is forged during the God-I-wish-I-could-fast-forward-through-this times of pain. It hurts and it’s hard and when it is just remember, I can do hard things. 

Here's to eternal summers

But thy eternal summer shall not fade…

William Shakespeare

You see this? This was hands down one of my favorite moments of the summer- standing barefoot on a pier overlooking the Severn River on an historical estate. It was hot and humid that day, but the cloud cover made it bearable. I can recall how quiet it was. It was so quiet you felt as though you should whisper so as not to disturb the symphony of cicadas in the background. This is peace. Right?

Yes and no. In regards to slowing down, being still, and relishing the beauty of simplicity…then yes, this is the picture of contentment. We should all make room for this kind of stillness on a regular basis. However, if I need to create this exact ambience, this pier, this river, this white dress in order to feel calm, then no. If I can only access this feeling through fragrances and rituals, then I’m sorry, but it’s not true peace. True peace is maintaining an internal posture of rest regardless of the external situation.

It’s a tall order, I’m well aware. But that is why we build inner strength throughout our lives. We plant our internal roots deep so that we’re not violently thrown when the storms of life rage about. We’re affected by the issues of life, of course, but not greatly moved. We’re not greatly moved when we learn to live in peace.

I must admit, with Labor Day weekend here and summer wrapping up, I don’t even want to think about the storms that will inevitably come. Summer was really awesome for me and I kind of just want to linger in this happy place a bit longer. But that’s the thing. I can. No matter what happens in the future I can always come back to this moment in my mind and you can go back to your own. Select your mental picture of peace and you too can have an eternal summer no matter what happens around you.

Author note: Fall is actually this writer’s favorite season. With the fashion, the holidays, and her October birthday, fall reigns supreme. Summer imagery was simply used for illustrative purposes. ;)

This moment is good

Things are going really well right now. That opening sentence is terrifying to write, but it’s true. Have you ever felt that way? Crap. I’m happy. What’s about to go wrong? If so, you might understand what the last few months have been like for me.

You see, after a long season of stagnation there’s suddenly been a changing of the tides in my life. Things that I’ve been waiting on forever are finally starting to happen. After years of people offering me all the same platitudes, years of assurances like, “I say a little prayer for you,” “Don’t stop believing,” and other wisdom from miscellaneous song titles, voila. A wave of good fortune finally arrived on my shore. Do you think I’ve allowed myself to relish in the fulfillment of some of these long awaited desires? Let’s just say not exactly. In fact, happy actually kind of freaks me out.

Don’t get me wrong. I think we want happy. We fight for happy all our lives. It’s just that things end up a lot like the line in Goyte’s, “Somebody that I used to know” song: “You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness.” We figure if this is all there is and ever will be let me find a way to make do.  But not in a grounded, radical acceptance way. It’s more in a brokenhearted, resignation way. We form habits and patterns to cope with the reality that grieves us and we try to kill off the hope that we’ll ever see the fulfillment of our desires. After all, hope starts to hurt when it’s perpetually deferred. Then, by some sudden twist of fate, when we actually get what we want, it scares the hell out of us. Or maybe just me.

I was discussing all of this with my therapist (because transitional times call for tune-ups) and in her wisdom she prompted me to stay in the present. She attributes anxiety to what she calls time travel- either getting stuck in the past or imagining too far into the future. She urged me instead to see that this moment is good. In her estimate, most moments are. She says, “The next moment might not be, but this moment is good.”

So, I’ve taken that phrase and adopted it as my personal mantra. When I start to make up anxiety-provoking scenarios that haven’t even happened, I pause. This moment is good. When I look around at recent blessings in my life and feel nervous that they’ll be taken away, I give thanks. This moment is good. When I have an experience that feels so beautiful and perfect I immediately feel sad that it won’t last forever, I savor it. This moment is good.

Life is so unpredictable. It can be craptastic (as my friend Jen says) and it can suddenly turn around and be amazing. In between craptastic and amazing is just a bunch of ordinary moments: a great song that takes you back and warms your soul, a balmy summer night on the porch, sharing wine with a friend, or just floating in the pool with the sun on your face. Those are the moments to live for. The simple ones. The ones we might overlook if we don’t mindfully pay attention. We can’t change yesterday and we don’t know what tomorrow holds. But this moment is ours and this moment is good. 

It’s time to do one thing

If you follow me, you’ve probably seen a theme in recent posts. I keep sharing about the importance of rest. The reason is because that’s my personal focus these days- rest and recovery. I sense the deepest part of me saying, “It’s time to do one thing,” and to do so, I’m quitting everything. Yep. You heard it here first.

For the last four years, I’ve been building a wellness brand. The irony is that I’ve been holding down multiple jobs in order to do so and burning out in the process. It’s been nothing short of exhausting promoting wellness in others to the neglect of my own. I’ve pushed through and counseled clients despite seasons of personal pain. I’ve led others in their fitness journeys even when I was no longer consistent in my own. I’ve taught counseling students and helpers-in-training despite career fatigue making me wonder if my work even matters. And even the work of branding myself as a wellness expert in a flooded market has been a grind that's left me depleted. In a word, healing others has been wearing me out and I’ve known for a while that I needed a change.

Since I don’t believe in being a victim or a martyr I’m making that change. Before the end of the summer I will take an indefinite hiatus from teaching, personal training, and private practice. God has graciously opened a door to one job that I believe will offer the enjoyment and work/life balance I’ve been seeking. For years I’ve prayed, “One job. I just need one job, Jesus.” Alas, He has provided.

Why am I sharing all this, you might ask? I share because a big part of my wellness education has come from my own personal and professional experiences. While I don’t regret any choices I’ve made in my occupational journey so far, I do have enough discernment to know when it’s time to make a change. What has been no longer serves me and for the sake of my wellness, it’s time to make new choices. I hope this empowers you to evaluate your life and do the same.

What does this mean for Gambrell Wellness? Well, we’re just taking a little break, that’s all. I’m retiring from multiple hustles and taking a sabbatical through the summer. But hey, I’m still an educator my heart. I still plan to share relevant content on health and wellness. At some point in the future, I’ll return with programs, events, blog posts and the like just as I’ve always done. It’s just once I come back this work, this wellness work that I truly believe in, it will be done with a spirit of rest. That’s really the only way.

I challenge you to join me. I’m not saying quit your job(s) necessarily. I just want you to consider what areas have you felt perpetually drained? Can you take an extended break from them to recharge your soul? It’ll look different for everyone. I can’t tell you what you need. I do urge you to ask yourself though. What can you do in this next season for the sake of your wellness? For me, it starts my just doing one thing.

Anxiety tips from an anxious therapist: Ones you might not have heard

What’s better than anxiety tips from a therapist? Maybe anxiety tips from an anxious therapist. I don’t self-disclose often in practice. I try to stay focused on my clients’ emotions and experiences. But since it’s my blog, it’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s important to breakdown stigma, I’m sharing that I am an otherwise healthy, reasonably well-adjusted professional woman who deals with anxiety. Because of this truth, I want to offer more than just the typical management strategies we’ve heard. I want to offer things I actually use when I’m struggling.

Breathe out

Most of us have heard of the importance of breathing to reduce anxiety. But often without realizing it, how we breathe adds to anxiety. When you’re stressed the first instinct is to hold your breath. So, if you’re already holding your breath and then you try to inhale more it actually contributes to an uncomfortable, constricted feeling in your chest and throat, making you feel like you’re choking. Therefore, when you feel anxious blow everything out first, pause a moment, and then inhale a long, slow breath.

Hold heart and center

After starting proper breathwork, another thing that helps me feel centered is to place one hand over my heart and the other over my belly. I don’t recall if I picked this up from a yoga class or if I just intuitively did this hand placement one day, but it helps. You can do it seated or standing. For me, it evokes a sense of being connected. When a wave of intense anxiety strikes, it feels like a force threatening to drown me. But when I touch my heart and center it’s my way of feeling secure and reminding myself that I’m here, I’m grounded, and I’m okay whether I feel that way or not.

Rock side to side

The third tip might sound strange, but go with it. You know how babies like to be rocked? Well, so do adults. When we’re afraid we are vulnerable like children. It only makes sense that when in that regressed state we soothe the way we used to be soothed as youngsters. Next time you feel anxious just rock your body from side to side. See if it doesn’t have a calming effect.

Eat light

All this breathing, holding, and rocking are ways to manage the physical symptoms of anxiety. Worry thoughts alone are relatively simple to handle in my opinion; you can just identify how irrational they are. But once you feel bodily sensations, it can seem like you’re actually ill, dying, or in danger. And since our emotional state is highly correlated with our gut function, stomach issues often accompany stress and anxiety. Therefore, to minimize gastrointestinal distress I eat smaller, lighter meals on high anxiety days so I don’t freak myself out more because of nausea, bloating, or stomach upset. Get the nutrients you need, of course. Just pick foods that are easier to digest.

Take your time

A final practice I use to deal with high anxiety times is to simply slow down. I’m conscientious by nature. I arrive places on time. I respond messages promptly. To me, it’s a sign of respect. The downside, however, is that I can make myself sick trying to reach arbitrary timelines. And in an era when social media, direct messages, and texts make everyone accessible 24/7, there’s often a sense of urgency to reply immediately when it’s really

not necessary. So, when I feel under the gun I’ve intentionally started taking my time. I physically move slower, drive slower, breathe slower. I’ll wait until the end of the day or even the next day to open emails or messages if I’m not prepared to respond right away. I’ll take time to have a snack or use the restroom or just sit for a moment, even if it means running few minutes late. It’s truly done wonders. I still respect time and try my best to stay on schedule. But if it’s between peace and punctuality, I choose peace.

Like I said in the beginning, I share all this because I get it. I really do. Anxiety is a formidable foe and one I’ve battled in some variation my entire life. Numbered tips and gimmicky formulas sell, but cannot guarantee 100% freedom from fear. Besides, what works for one person does not necessarily work for everyone. I simply submit the things that have helped me more often than not. I believe there will be a time when we won’t be afraid. Until that day, stay in the fight and find what helps you overcome.

Mindful tracking for depression

You ever find yourself in a funk? Like one of those truly insidious moods that sneak up on you. It allows you to function and even appear “normal” for months, maybe even years on end. Meanwhile, in the background there’s a persistent sadness, irritability, or anxiety that lingers like a low grade fever. This feeling is often what brings people into counseling. They don’t quite feel like themselves. They know they’re not as happy as they used to be, but aren’t sure why.

Truthfully, most of us have felt this before…when you’re overwhelmed by the blahs and beside yourself. Are you clinically depressed, you wonder? Burned out? Absorbing other people’s emotions? Why is this uncomfortable feeling like a familiar companion that has overstayed its welcome? Sometimes the unknown makes things worse. You feel like you’re going crazy because you can’t pinpoint why you’re hurting. This is where mindfulness comes in- mindful tracking to be exact.

Next time you notice a persistent feeling of unrest do a lifeline. This is an exercise where you track significant life events over a designated time period. It could be your entire life or just the last 5-10 years. You pick the duration. But on a lifeline, you draw an actual line on a piece of paper, like a ruler, and indicate major life transitions, losses, relationship changes, perhaps traumas. Basically, you indicate anything that you deem developmentally significant. In doing so, you will more than likely see a pattern or theme emerge. Perhaps you’ve had a lot of deaths or relational losses. Maybe you had back to back health issues or educational challenges. It could just be a lot of normal life transitions that you didn’t quite adapt to or cope with effectively. Whatever it is, a lifeline will afford you the opportunity of increased insight. It will help you make sense of your emotional experience and perhaps lend wisdom for how to handle your mood state.

No one likes to feel abnormal. No one wants to feel down and unwell all the time. Even if you are functioning, often you intuitively know things could be better. If you feel this way, I definitely encourage reaching out for counseling support. Additionally, take some time to explore the last season of your life. Maybe just seeing in line graph form how much you’ve been through can normalize the struggle. It can also help you have compassion on yourself as you heal. So, give it a try and let me know what you find. I’d love to hear what you discovered and learned about yourself with a little mindfulness.