The benefits of self-regulating anxiety symptoms
If you’ve ever experienced anxiety during your lifetime, chances are you’ll know just how
frightening it can be. There is a common perception that anxiety is an emotional state – a
feeling of worry or upset. But anxiety is actually a physical response to a perception of
threat. The word ‘perception’ is important here. Because it doesn’t matter if the threat is
real or not – if your body perceives the danger to be real, it will respond accordingly.
I’m a licenced counsellor, with experience working with many individuals to support with
the feelings of anxiety. But I also have my own complex history with managing anxiety
symptoms, so I understand that it can be a completely debilitating experience. But I have
found that understanding the anxiety, and how our body responds in relation to danger, can
be a really powerful way to regain control.
Our physical response to danger
Once danger is perceived by the body – perhaps you’re entering a party alone, or you have
to deliver an important presentation in a room full of strangers – whatever the danger
might be, our sympathetic nervous system will kick in.
This system is ingrained in us back from our caveman days – back when the threat of danger
meant having to run from a predator, or wrestling for our only meal. The sympathetic
nervous system activates our ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response. It does this to help us evade
danger. It’s instinctual, and serves to keep us safe.
How does it do this?
1. It floods your body with adrenaline. The body is prepared to fight or run away from
the danger, which means your heart will beat faster and hormones are released to
allow us to respond quickly.
2. It slows your digestive tract. Blood is diverted away from the digestive system in
favour of more ‘useful’ areas of the body. This can lead to symptoms of an upset
stomach, or having ‘butterflies’ in the stomach.
3. It heightens your senses. Vision becomes more acute, so that we can be alert and
pay close attention to the threat. A similar change also occurs with our hearing –
which may result in feelings of overwhelm or disorientation.
But what if the danger isn’t real?
This is when anxiety becomes problematic. Because we’re basically suffering the physical
sensations of being alert and ready for danger, when the danger is only perceived, or isn’t a
direct threat on our lives (chances are, this is usually the case). We’re then left with the
troublesome feelings of a raised heartrate, a churning stomach, over stimulated senses and
a feeling that something isn’t quite right. The problem persists when we are unable to rid
ourselves of the danger. Because if we do have to deliver that knock-out presentation, or we
really want to boss walking into that party alone, the feelings of anxiety can be distracting
and troublesome.
So how can we regulate our anxiety symptoms?
It’s important to state that, if your anxiety symptoms are having a significant impact on your
day-to-day life, you should consider visiting your GP or a licensed counsellor (I highly
recommend a combination of both!) who can support you. But understanding how to
regulate your anxiety symptoms in the meantime, is a skill that can be hugely beneficial for
our long-term mental health.
A trusted ‘grounding’ technique
As we’ve established – anxiety is a series of physical sensations released by our own bodies
in response to the threat of danger. ‘Grounding’ is about taking ourselves outside of our
bodies (and our minds) so that we can experience what is really happening around us – not
what we perceive to be a danger to us.
This might sound a bit silly – ‘of course I know what is happening around me’ – but the thing
is, when we are consumed by anxiety, we are exactly that; consumed.
If we really pay attention to what is happening around us, the idea is that this confirms to us
that the danger isn’t real. It helps our minds to understand that our lives are not threatened,
and that the ‘danger’ will not cause us any real or lasting harm. This sends the message to
our brains that we are safe; that the sympathetic nervous system does not need to be
activated, and we will in time become much calmer.
How?
It’s a simple as 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
This is such a powerful trick, because you can practice it at any point that you feel the
anxiety coming on. If you’re out walking, at your desk at work, sitting in front of the TV, or
entertaining your family. Just allow yourself to focus, and really experience each of the
items on your list.
Tip – work through this exercise slowly. The time will allow you to truly focus, and the safety
messages to sink into your brain.
So, when you feel anxiety coming on, simply count and experience…
5 things you can see
Then…
4 things you can hear
Then…
3 things you can feel
Then…
2 things you can smell
Then…
1 thing you can taste
Allowing yourself to focus on each of these items will take some practice to get right. It’s
normal to struggle initially, especially if your anxiety is particularly heightened, but stick with
it. I’d also advise you to practice this technique during times when you are not feeling
anxious at all – as this will allow you to build confidence in the exercise, and help you to call
on it more easily when you actually do need it.
Are you looking for support with your anxiety symptoms? At EWG, we offer a flexible and
accessible counselling service in the heart of Wigan. We can also support you during our live
chat service on a Thursday evening – which is great if you’re unable to attend a face-to-face
service.
Charlotte Hartley, EWG Counsellor