Anxiety is in the body, not only the brain

Today's blog post is based on an article by my friend, Luci Gabel:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. How are you supporting yourself, your family and your teams in mental health?

With the direct and indirect effects of a pandemic, most of us have experienced more stress than we'd ever expected in the last year and a half. Not surprisingly, reports of anxiety have increased over the last year (1).

If you find you're struggling with bouts of anxiety that you haven’t experienced before, you’re not alone. And if you’re in any kind of leadership position—at work, at home, or elsewhere—you’re even more susceptible to anxiety; feeling alone with your thoughts and fears with no one to talk to can create anxiety over time.

Research finds that anxiety is not only mental, but it's a primal, physiological reaction to danger. In fact, the body can be anxious for reasons the mind isn't even aware of—until later. So if you walk into your kitchen to make some toast in the morning and suddenly start to feel anxious, you’re not unusual.

Physical movement can be extremely helpful with anxiety. There are some incredibly simple steps you can take if you find anxiety taking over your body. Here are two you can use immediately:

1) Get present to the present moment—look around you, take some deep breaths, hear the sounds around you, feel the floor beneath your feet and your body in the chair if you’re sitting. The focus on your senses while in a comfortable environment will send a message to your brain that you are safe and calm you down.

2) If you’ve got too much anxious energy and #1 doesn’t help, then get up and walk around the block, or up and down stairs to get rid of the fight-or-flight physical needs. You might even have a short workout: do some push ups, jumping jacks, squats, or a yoga vinyasa to get your heart beating faster. When finished, go back to the first item above.

The answer to anxiety lies in acknowledging it, not ignoring it. While it's best to address anxiety with a licensed therapist, there are tools that you can use when you’re on your own that can help.

*1. Pattee, Emma, (April 7, 2021) Anxiety is in your body, not your mind. Medium.com. Retrieved from: https://elemental.medium.com/anxiety-is-in-your-body-not-your-mind-93031abd14eb

Check out yesterday's blog post to see what I'm doing to get more exercise, as well as eat and sleep better.

Plus Blue 42 has many products specifically designed to help reduce anxiety.

Interesting days

Today - No Dirty Dishes Day, Museum Day and Visit Your Relatives Day

Tomorrow - Numeracy Day and May Ray Day 

Week long celebrations:

May 16 - May 29: Heritage Breeds Week

May 16 - May 29: Italian Beef Week 

Next Tuesday - Tap Dance Day, Towel Day, Wine Day and Geek Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

May 16 - May 29: Heritage Breeds Week

May 16 - May 29: Italian Beef Week

May 24 - May 30: Map Reading Week

June 18 - International Picnic Day, Go Fishing Day, Flip-Flop Day, Take Back the Lunch Break Day, Clean Your Aquarium Day, Splurge Day, International Panic Day and International Sushi Day

Week long celebrations:

Jun 14 - Jun 20: Meet A Mate Week