Do you ever feel super amped up mentally? Wound up or restless? Are you sometimes plagued with “racing thoughts”? Believe it or not, these can all signs of mental anxiety. Feeling mentally overwhelmed or “pumped” can happen to all of us at some time in life. Unbeknown to many, this is one of the common ways that anxiety presents itself. At the end of the day, anxiety can be exhausting. It is how you deal with the anxiety that makes all the difference in the world.
What Is Anxiety?
Let’s see what the experts say. According to anxiety.org: “Anxiety is the reaction to situations perceived as stressful or dangerous. “The amped-up feeling, and restlessness you may feel can be manifestations of anxiety. The world we live in and the hectic pace of our society often leaves people feeling this way. Many have lost the ability to simply relax.
Some Symptoms Of Anxiety Are:
- Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Having difficulty concentrating; mind going blank
- Being irritable
- Having muscle tension
- Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
- Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, restlessness, or unsatisfying sleep
Here Are Some Simple Ways To Soothe Your Overactive Mind:
Be In the Present Moment:
Anxiety can be described as worrying about something that is in the future. Your mind is so efficient that it can worry in advance. Be here now: What’s happening at this moment? Bring yourself back to the present. This can be done by doing a task that requires all of your attention. For some people, this might be an art project. Others might find relief from a sport or exercise that demands all their focus. For others pausing and reflecting on being present is enough. Find what works for you to bring you into the moment you are in right now and relax your amped emotions.
Take A Break:
Sometimes you just need a break. Get out of town, take a day off, or go for a walk in the forest. Move your body and breathe fresh air. A change of environment or even a change of routine can refresh the soul and relax the mind.
Check-In With Yourself:
Ask yourself if what you are anxious about is reasonable and logical. Check-in. Ask yourself if whatever is happening at this moment is even worth investing your energy in. This allows you to train your brain to come up with a rational way to deal with your anxious emotions and racing thoughts. Developing these habits prepares you for the future when you have a similar experience. Having a contingency plan will help you feel calmer at the present moment.
Try Meditation And Deep Breathing:
When focusing on breathing, you shift your response from the fight or flight of the sympathetic nervous system to the calmer parasympathetic nervous system response. Deep breathing has been known to help relax many people. Both meditation and breathing exercises can help; both are excellent relaxation and focusing methods. Search online for various methods to try. Yoga, group classes, or individual practice may help you with relaxation and self-soothing. All of these activities are excellent for your wellbeing and overall health.
Reframe:
Changing the way you look at a situation can change the way you feel about it. This can be described as the art of reframing. This can be done as an intentional act or be something that happens automatically depending on your mindset, and temperament.
According to a study: “Appraisal theories of emotion suggest that it is an individual’s subjective appraisal of an event—that is, its’ meaning and significance—rather than the event itself that leads to a specific emotional reaction.” (Seeing the Silver Lining: Cognitive Reappraisal Ability Moderates the Relationship Between Stress and Depressive Symptoms, Allison S. Troy, et al, 2010)
How you look at an event can change your emotions about it. If you have a balanced calm mindset, it will take more for you to feel mentally overwhelmed. You will have a better distress response and be better able to handle any negative emotions that arise.
You can learn to self soothe using small changes to daily habits and reframing your thoughts. Implementing some of these practices will help you develop techniques to increase relaxation in your daily life, de-stress, and improve your mental health.
Be well + prosper,
Elaine xx