Coping with life: Part 3 - Navigating anxiety
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EmailLife can be difficult, so it’s best to find coping skills that work
Part 3 of this Michigan State University Extension series on coping with life will address the mental health topic of anxiety. Anxiety is ranked as the world’s most common mental health challenge. While anxiety can create good stress properties and enhance performance, anxiety can become distressing and difficult with which to live.
According to research, anxiety is a psychological and physiological response when the mind and body respond to stimuli that feels outside of our control, acting as an alarm system to get our attention. In doing so, it can create uncomfortable symptoms that one must navigate through to maintain functioning within one’s life, bringing awareness to the importance of anxiety reduction and regulation.
With this in mind, here are three healthy coping strategies to consider when one experiences the signs or symptoms of anxiety:
Deep breathing
Deep breathing aligns with mindful breathing, in which an individual places more intentionality surrounding their breath. When we become distressed, our stress responses become active in our body, causing our heart rate to increase. Due to this, our stress symptoms become more intense, making it more difficult to regulate. By paying attention to our breathing, we can slow down our heart rate, therefore, reducing our emotional reactions. A recommended breathing exercise is called square breathing or box breathing.
Grounding techniques
Grounding techniques is another mindfulness approach to aid within emotional regulation. Within this practice, one would utilize their five senses to bring attention to their present state. By doing this, the individual can find needed control within the present, grounding them for the time being. From there, active measures can take place to further reduce emotions.
Decatastrophizing
Decatastrophizing is supporting the deflation of one’s anxious thoughts, when the worst possible outcomes become the main worry. In this state, individuals may become immersed in possible outcomes, causing high levels of anxiety and rumination. Much like cognitive restructuring, decatastrophizing prompts individuals to challenge their thoughts through a series of self-prompting questions.
Suggestive questions when challenging catastrophic thinking can include (but not limited to) the following:
- Is my thought based on facts or feelings?
- How would my best friend see this situation?
- How likely is it that my fear will come true?
- What’s most likely to happen?
- If my fear comes true, will it still matter in a week? A month? A year?
In essence, it is important to discover healthy coping strategies related to emotional wellness due to the complications they bring. If engaged early and frequently, individuals can navigate these mental health challenges in a way that can promote higher quality of life.
Read more about coping with life in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. To learn more about emotional wellness, please visit MSU Extension’s healthy living and emotional wellness webpage.
