“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.”
— Swedish proverb

We all worry. We worry about the big things and the small things; about the mundane and the existential; we compare; we catastrophize; we suffer.

How much is worry dominating your state of being? Do you feel racing thoughts as part of your day? Is your sleep disrupted? Do you feel brain fog?

Worry can manifest as racing thoughts, feelings of anxiety, disrupted sleep, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, brain fog, outbursts of anger or fear, and even over- or under- eating.

For myself, there are times when my mind falls into a tail spin and it take every single tool I know to get my nervous system to reset and calm. Thankfully, these “episodes” happen infrequently now, because I have a commitment to practice healing tools daily.

Interestingly, Merriam-Webster defines worry in several ways. As a noun (remember: person, place, or thing): 1) mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated: ANXIETY: 2) an instance or occurrence of such distress or agitation.

Worry is actually a THING! (It can feel like a tangible object!)

As a transitive and intransitive verb: 1)STRANGLE, CHOKE; 2) to move, proceed, or progress by unceasing or difficult effort: STRUGGLE; 3) to feel or experience concern or anxiety: FRET; 4) to assail with rough or aggressive attack or treatment: TORMENT; 5) to subject to persistent or nagging attention or effort; 6) to afflict with mental distress or agitation: to make anxious.

So, why the English lesson?

Prolonged worry (anxiety) is dangerous to your body and your mind. While it’s completely normal to have worried feelings, the danger occurs when it is a dominating state of being in your life.

Look back at those words above: strangle, choke, struggle, fret, torment….

Let me break this down as simply as possible: the brain has a flight-or-flight response to danger: real or perceived, and the sympathetic nervous system is basically “turned on.” These biological mechanisms occur as a result of the brain giving the body what it needs to survive.

Think about this response as the need to run away from a bear attack. A real bear appears, or you are dreaming about an attack, or even just thinking about impending disaster:

The brain send the signal to the body: increased heart rate for more blood to the body, faster breathing for more oxygen consumption, lower GI motility because processing food isn’t important when you are running for your life, and more sugar is released into the blood for more energy. (This is a simplified explanation about this normal biological response.)

Here is what is vital to understand: these body responses happen whether there is a REAL threat or one that is IMAGINED.

Often the activated sympathetic nervous system is what you feel or experience in a panic or anxious state of mind. When the sympathetic nervous system is stuck “on” feeling relaxed, clear, or calm becomes harder and harder. The hormonal system becomes fatigued and serious disease can result.

Understanding this system when you feel activated is crucial to stopping the difficult cycle. When you are aware that your body is only initiating a natural response to a perceived threat, you can find the truth and be free. Once you know the threat isn’t real in this moment, you can “signal” the parasympathetic nervous system to step in. This body mechanism basically promotes a relaxed and clear state.

Here is what you can do when you feel yourself tipping into this over activated state:

1. Notice it.

2. Discover whether the threat is happening in REAL TIME. (Keep in mind that this response can be triggered from a past event that was real.)

3. Consciously slow the breath. You can say in your mind “inhale” and “exhale.” You can find a fixed object to focus on. You can ground through your feel or your hands. You can use the senses (smell, sight, sound) to draw yourself back into the present moment.

4. Switch your thoughts onto a list of things you are grateful for. (Write this.) Don’t just say your gratitude list, but feel it. Let gratitude lead the way to heal.

If feelings of anxiety have become a normal part of your life, there is so much hope. Practicing the techniques described above can retrain your brain.

Your anxiety response is likely a habit at this point and habits can be changed. The brain can change.(Read Chapter 3 of my book.)

My clients have experienced relief from an overloaded nervous system with a simple and consistent meditation practice and other techniques.

You don’t have to have a complicated regiment or a team of psychologists and doctors to manage your anxiety. You have the innate ability to heal this part of your body and mind.

If you are not sure where to start, reply to this email and we can chat. You don’t have to carry this huge burden anymore. You can have a new experience of clarity, calm, and even joy.

Lots of love,
Rachel

[Disclaimer: Do not discontinue your care under a doctor’s or therapist’s supervision as a result of reading this article. Additionally, seek medical help if your anxiety is preventing you from living your life in a safe way.]