You're restless with anxiety, and I'm here to help. In the information age, we're inundated with all kinds of information, and negative news can easily make people feel restless.
Issues related to life and death, such as invasion, massacre, war, and separation and reunion, affect our safety. We pay special attention to them and feel uneasy about them.
This is the body's protective mechanism at work. The degree to which it is activated differs from person to person. For you, perhaps the risk factor is higher and the need for protection stronger.
We all feel differently because we are different individuals. It is the real sense of danger that hits us that makes us anxious.
Here's how you can deal with it.
The physiological response is as follows:
Practice relaxation and strengthen your aerobic exercise.
You can learn to use abdominal breathing. There are two types of human breathing: thoracic breathing and abdominal breathing.
Chest breathing is fast and shallow, very rapid, while abdominal breathing is fuller and longer, which relaxes the body.
When you're anxious, you tend to breathe from your chest. But you can relax your body and relieve your anxiety by breathing from your abdomen.
Place your hands on your abdomen and feel the rise and fall of the abdomen as you slowly breathe in deeply. Continue until the abdomen is concave to the greatest extent, then exhale slowly.
Let your body relax and release as you exhale.
Use progressive muscle relaxation training.
Tense up all your muscles, hold it, and then relax. Do this from head to toe, dividing the body into zones.
Anxiety causes muscle tension. Progressive muscle relaxation is an effective way to relax the body.
Psychological coping
Change your thinking. Switch from anxious thinking to learning to relax.
Anxiety is caused by catastrophic thinking, which is the belief that something ordinary will have very serious consequences, as if a disaster is imminent.
This distorted way of thinking is not in line with reality and leads to anxiety. Change it! Think in a way that is in line with reality to reduce the source of anxiety and lower the level of anxiety.
First, identify catastrophic thinking. Then, identify its unrealistic and distorted views.
For example, there will be an invasion by other countries and we will become prisoners.
I want to know if something like this has happened recently. And I want to know where it happened.
I want to know how far away something like this is happening.
Question the validity of the distorted view.
Invasion by other countries, massacre by the enemy, and us becoming prisoners will happen 100% of the time.
What is the probability of this happening? 30%, 50%, 80%, or 10%?
Is this a reality that has already happened, or is it just a fantasy?
Replace distorted views with ideas that are more in line with reality.
Make no mistake: there are wars abroad, but they are far away.
Our country is strong, and our country will protect the safety of our people.
I can assure you that China is currently safe.
When you have anxiety, you can learn to delay it by appropriately distracting yourself.
When we worry about something, we often find ourselves unable to extricate ourselves from it. To stop worrying and restore calm, we must learn to change our focus.
Relax your body with a few simple exercises or a quick walk. Try abdominal breathing or progressive muscle relaxation, or go for a run.
Do something you're interested in. Watch a movie, listen to music, read a book, paint, or enjoy a delicious meal. Concentrate on the task at hand and let go of the obsession with anxiety.
Mental diversion: Give yourself positive suggestions. Tell yourself that anxiety is just a set of thoughts, not a fact. These anxious thoughts are fading away. You are healthy, relaxed, and carefree.
Anxiety can be so severe that it's difficult to distract yourself. In these moments, you can use the method of delaying anxiety to postpone the onset of anxiety.
For example, with the worry about poisoning, we can and should tell ourselves, "I accept the fear and anxiety in my heart, but I will worry about this problem in three minutes. For now, I will finish the task at hand. When the time is up, I will continue to tell myself, 'I will worry about this problem in 10 minutes, and for now, I will finish what I need to do first.'"
Keep postponing until the anxiety dissipates. You will be able to think clearly and then challenge and alter the negative thinking.
Mindfulness meditation is an effective way to relax and quiet the mind.
Sit quietly, with your hands on your thighs, your back straight but not stiff.
Breathe deeply, relax your neck and shoulders, and let's get into a meditative state.
Next, choose a word that focuses your attention and brings peace to your heart, or that has another special meaning for you. For example, you could choose the word "quiet."
We sit quietly, focusing on our breathing, and on each exhalation, we repeat the word "quiet" in our minds.
If other thoughts arise, simply bring your attention back to the word "quiet."
Practice this for at least 10 minutes.
Meditation is the most difficult but also the most beneficial way to relax. It reduces anxiety and brings calm.
Read the book Coping with Anxiety. You will find a method that suits you.
No matter what you've been through, those emotions are your instinctive reaction. Don't be too hard on yourself. You can't control your emotions by trying too hard.
Anxiety is a guest. We can treat it as such: observe its arrival, its spinning, its lingering, and its departure. We don't criticize or blame it. We accept its arrival and see it off.
Comments
I understand how overwhelming and distressing these thoughts can be. It sounds like you're going through an incredibly tough time, and it's important to seek support from a therapist or counselor who can offer guidance tailored to your needs.
It seems that your worries have been spiraling into more complex fears. I hope you can find someone to talk to about these concerns; sometimes sharing them with a trusted friend or family member can provide some relief.
The anxiety you're experiencing must be really hard to cope with. Have you considered alternative therapies or complementary treatments that might work alongside your medication? Sometimes mindfulness or cognitivebehavioral therapy can help manage symptoms.
Your situation sounds very challenging. Remember that it's okay to ask for help. Support groups can be a great resource, offering a community of people who understand what you're going through and can provide encouragement.
Feeling this way for over a year must be exhausting. It might be beneficial to discuss your medication with your doctor to see if adjusting the dosage or trying a different approach could improve your response to treatment.