The science of anxiety counselling has advanced in leaps and bounds over the past few decades. Indeed, many symptoms that were once considered to be associated with real-world diseases are now thought to manifest from thoughts within the mind.
The only issue is that it can be extremely challenging to manage thoughts of anxiety and panic. These sensations can impact our daily lives, harm our relationships, and even lead to serious situations such as depression. Therefore, learning how to manage the associated symptoms is crucial. In this post, we will examine some tips and tricks to help manage the physical symptoms of anxiety in detail.
Recognising the Symptoms of Anxiety
Before deciding to seek out personal anxiety counselling, it can be helpful to recognise the symptoms of this condition that you may be demonstrating. While they can manifest in many ways, here are a handful of the most common physical anxiety symptoms:
- Feelings of impending dread.
- An increased heart rate and/or heart palpitations.
- Nausea or dizziness.
- Pain within the chest.
- Cold and clammy skin.
- Breathlessness for no apparent reason.
While these sensations can become overwhelming on occasion, we need to remember that they are not physically dangerous. They are a series of learned responses to a specific set of stimuli. It, therefore, stands to reason that such habits can be broken over time if the right approaches are taken. Here are some professional suggestions to keep in mind to help manage these symptoms.
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Determine Which Situations Lead to Feelings of Anxiety
Anxiety and panic are often caused by specific “triggers”. Of course, these triggers are different for everyone. Some individuals may be worried about an impending home sale while others are more concerned about returning to work after a lengthy illness.
Being able to highlight any scenarios that lead to feelings of anxiety is essentially the first step involved when trying to break the “chain” of cascading responses. Implementing some methods or techniques listed below when confronted with these scenarios, can help manage your physical anxiety symptoms.
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Logically Examine Your Responses
Imagine that you have been able to identify a series of situations which lead to unpleasant feelings of anxiety. It is now important to objectively evaluate how your body and mind react so that you can help alter your reactions.
For example, one individual may begin suffering from heart palpitations before an important business presentation. In this case, he or she can learn to appreciate that this is nothing more than a sympathetic nervous system response, as opposed to a heart attack or a stroke, which can in time help them with minimizing these feelings. This is a great way to begin taking the “teeth” out of anxiety’s bite.
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Confront Your Fears
Although it may sound like a nerve-wracking prospect to confront the fears you are having, professional counsellors believe that it is an absolutely essential part of the healing process. The reason that this suggestion is so difficult involves the fact that we will instinctively shy away from scenarios that are associated with danger. Unfortunately, such a response will only reinforce feelings of anxiety.
It is best to begin with situations that are only mildly nerve-wracking. For example, if public speaking causes severe anxiety, try taking on the small task of delivering a presentation to a small group of your colleagues. Once these have been overcome, it will be easier to graduate to those instances which immediately elicit more profound feelings of anxiety. The main point is that you will soon begin to realise that your fears have been largely overblown, yet another step down the road to recovery.
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Develop Coping Mechanisms
An individual who has recently suffered a back injury may require the use of a bed hoist for a certain amount of time. This is one way to cope with the situation until his or her health improves. The same holds true regarding stress, anxiety, and panic attacks.
It is wise to develop a series of coping mechanisms when these feelings come to the surface or if you expect that you will soon be in a stressful situation. Some may choose to chew gum, and others may practice deep breathing exercises or head off to the local gym to blow off steam. Either way, these techniques will help to lower your perceived feelings of anxiety, which can help to break an otherwise vicious cycle.
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Obtain Professional Advice
Anxiety can be mild for some while others could begin to feel as if their lives are falling apart at the seams. In severe cases, it is always important to seek help from a trained professional. Whether you choose to attend group sessions or you prefer online seminars, there are a host of options to choose from. There may also be times when professional anxiety counselling highlights certain behavioural habits that you were not aware of. As a result, you will be provided with the tools required to overcome this affliction and once again enjoy life.
Anxiety Counselling: Small Steps for Long-Term Progress
Seeking assistance from a physician or trained mental health professional is critical since it will assist you in coping with your physical problems and making you feel better. The process of anxiety therapy includes receiving the correct diagnosis, participating in a treatment plan, and following through on suggestions. Medications can not cure anxiety, but they can help to control the symptoms and prevent them from happening daily.
If you are struggling to cope with the situations outlined above, please contact one of the team members at Access Counselling Clinic. We will be more than happy to schedule an appointment at your convenience.
