Anxiety 101
By Marion Duplo, 10th Nov 2011 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutHealthMind & SpiritAnxiety
We live in a seemingly constant state of anxiety, panicked at the thought of having to make small-talk with colleagues or of being late for our next meeting. Could we be in the middle of an evolutionary adaptation to the ever-accelerating urban world around us?
What is anxiety?
Anxiety
Noun:
1. A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
2. Desire to do something, typically accompanied by unease.
I am frozen with terror. Panic becomes me. Waves of fire and ice lap at my body in rapid succession. My heart pumps as though powered by a thousand angry horses and I sweat as though I am in a hothouse in Manila. But as I make my way past the reptile enclosure back out into the 'safe' company of our laughing primate cousins, the terror subsides.
I know that the glass separating me from the slithery creatures is solid. I know that no harm will come to me. Yet my body rapidly anticipates imminent danger, and for that I am thankful. Should I be faced with a reptilian foe in the wilds of the jungle, I know I will respond appropriately! Indeed, anxiety is a very important evolutionary trait. We have adapted to the dangers of the natural world around us by gearing ourselves with a 'fight or flight' response when faced with risk or danger.
The truth is, however, that we will very rarely be faced with a snake in its natural habitat these days. Most of us live in urban areas, somewhat 'protected' from the foes that our brains are hard wired to respond to. So why do I panic when I enter a room full of people and look for the one familiar face I expect to see? Why do many stammer and sweat when faced with a room of people awaiting a small speech? Could it be that we are trying to adapt to the contemporary equivalent of being faced with a snake in the wild? Is the intensity of our daily social interactions such that we are responding with 'fight or flight' more frequently?
Why are we anxious?
We spend a great deal our lives connected. Connected by technology, social interaction, empathy and environment. Connected to work, friends, colleagues, clients, strangers, news, current affairs, status updates. These connections seem to be the lifeblood of our daily existence; the fuel that fires us. But we don't stop to think about the value of these connections long enough to consider where we could disconnect to allow ourselves times to recoup.
Tonight I am already thinking about how I will get to work on time tomorrow. I'll take the tram, because traffic will be busy and I want to have a drink after work. I have allowed an extra ten minutes for the tram to be late and another five minutes to account for how slow my work computer is to boot up. I will check my emails on my iPhone on the tram to see who 'urgently' demands my attention. I will play Words With Friends; playing two words on the brief walk from the tram to my workplace. I will stop momentarily to get coffee, but will read the day's news while waiting. Oh goodness, what am I going to wear? I haven't thought about that yet...did I already wear a black shirt this week? That can wait, I need to check Facebook now. Then I'll respond to an SMS from a friend asking me to drinks and I'll lie about having a 'family thing' on the weekend because I've already committed to two other events, one of which I know I won't make it to. All this planning hasn't even gotten me to 9am yet. The stresses of the working day are yet to begin.
Is it any wonder we're in a constant state of anxiety? We live in an over connected society. We are constantly 'on call', anticipating the next work crisis, the next social event, the next sensational headline. The rapid advancement of the world we live in and how we interact with it may well be the 'snake in the jungle' of our times. We need to adapt to the jungle to manage the way the snake makes us feel.
Some anxiety management strategies
One person can have over 12,000 thoughts in a single day, causing a great deal of 'noise' to contend with in one's mind. Seek your calmness wherever you can find peace in your day. Every single day with great discipline - regardless of what is happening in my professional or social life - I find two 15 minute blocks to meditate. Usually one of these moments is during the working day, and I make an effort to block this out in my calendar. When I cannot find a calm place to close my eyes and find peace, I will simply book a meeting room and create the space I need. I am more productive and much easier to work with after my moment of peace!
Concentrate on your breath, and not just while you're meditating. When you feel rising panic in your day, slow things down by breathing calmly and rhythmically. Spend time with the people you love, particularly those who can make the noise in your mind retreat. We all need a friend or lover we can simply sit with in silence, without the need for words. Turn off your phone, take your shoes off and feel the grass between your toes, disconnect and create your own peace.
Finally, if anxiety is interfering with your daily activities, if it is persistent and non-specific, seek help. You are important, and you are loved. You deserve to find your peace, so please seek the help you need.
Images: Bottled Void, Nadia Blagorodnova, Elpadawan
Comments
11th Nov 2011 (#)
Excellent share, Marion. Great star page.:)
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12th Nov 2011 (#)
Free-floating anxiety is difficult to deal with; an anxiety which seems to take over someone for no apparent reason. The heart races, there is a feeling of fear and confusion, it seems the temperature rises, and there is no obvious trigger. Thank you for writing about this, Marion.
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