MOSCOW (Realist English). Today, many of us are particularly strongly influenced by the information field. Experiencing anxiety and panic is normal, but it is important to be able to quickly stabilize your condition and regain the control over the life. We are telling you how to cope with emotions in a difficult time.
Anxiety is not an absolute evil. Without it, we would not be able to make the right everyday decisions, for example, turn off the iron before leaving the house or pay the rent on time. But in moments of strong emotions, it can be difficult for us to control it in order to continue doing what needs to be done without wasting time on inefficient actions.
“The state of anxiety is a healthy reaction to a situation of uncertainty. There is no need to fight it, as well as to try to calm yourself in the face of a threat. However, if this threat is in fact real, it is especially important for us not to be “paralyzed” by our emotions and to be able to act in critical circumstances,” comments Maria Danina, Candidate of Sciences (Psychology), founder of the online school of psychological professions “Psychodemia”.
If you want to cope with your condition and return to life, practices with proven effectiveness will help. Let’s list some of them.
Focus on what you can control
One of the reasons for severe anxiety in the situation of uncertainty is the loss of control. One thinks that one’s actions do not affect the situation in any way, and the future cannot be predicted. But even in the most complicated circumstances, there is always something that we are able to control: our actions and choices, our attitudes, the order around us. Find something that gives you a sense of control and focus on it. Small and simple actions with guaranteed results are what you can rely on.
Perform the small routine tasks that you have planned, even if it seems pointless
The habitual, routine, repetitive — this is the basis of our sense of security. By repeating the familiar, we give ourselves a signal that we are fine and our life is stable. If you’ve been exercising every day or doing your hobbies, don’t give it up just because it’s not the time. On the contrary, find a routine for yourself that will calm you down and switch your attention.
Hug a loved one longer than usual
The closest to us and our loved ones are the best sedative and analgesic in one person. Snuggle up to those you value and who are nearby. Arrange a meeting and touch the screen of the one you are separated from. Tactility and communication will calm the nervous system and give you the opportunity to focus on specific important actions and decisions.
Don’t attempt to control anxiety, instead watch its physical manifestations with interest
An attempt to reduce or drown out your anxiety can only inflame it more, and the struggle with yourself can exhaust you completely. Learn to look at your emotional state as if from the outside — through the eyes of an alien who has found himself in a human body for the first time and must make a detailed report on what it feels like to experience anxiety as a human.
Take deep breaths
Breathing is the main way to manage your emotional conditions. The ability to breathe in a certain way helps to reduce the intensity of emotions. To do this, you need to inhale through your nose, and while inhaling, slowly count in your head to 4. Then you need to hold your breath and count to 7, then exhale through the mouth, counting to 8. If you are uncomfortable breathing in this rhythm, then you can try the 4/4/6 system: inhale for 4 counts, hold your breath another 4 and exhale through your mouth, counting in your head to 6. The most important thing is that the exhalation time is longer than the breaths and breath delays.
You will have to do this exercise for at least 2 minutes. For convenience, this time can be detected using a timer. People who are in a state of anxiety begin to breathe faster, which further supports and develops anxiety. That is why it is worth paying attention to making in-breaths and exhalations slow.
Find the meaning of what is happening
It is much easier for us to cope with any experience when we understand its meaning — what it is for us, what it can teach us, what we can extract or understand from what is happening. Look for this meaning yourself or talk to people who understand you, listen to what your dear people think about it. It is not always easy to understand, but the meaning found in the end gives us all much more strength and wisdom.
