Anxiety and Worry: Finding Calm in Uncertain Times
Worry and anxiety often show up during uncertain times. Our mind can feel noisier during times of political unrest, or anything that stirs up what we’d rather forget. While we all cope in our own ways, one thing that connects us is the shared experience of feeling overwhelmed.
Many of us feel the impact of these fast-paced, pressure-filled times. It can be especially challenging for those of us navigating systems that weren’t built for us in mind, while also carrying the weight of cultural and generational expectations that feel impossible to meet.
And this is where anxiety and worry comes in.
Our anxiety and worry are protective responses that happens when we perceive a threat to our sense of safety and security.
Anxiety and worry are survival responses that have been hardwired by overwhelming unresolved experiences of our past. Maybe it was growing up with financial scarcity, or having to make impossible choices, always calculating how to stay out of harm’s way.
In a world that can feel increasingly uncertain and scary, many of us are carrying that sense of overwhelm. Know that you aren’t alone and and that it is possible to find moments of inner peace and stability, even within uncertainty
Step 1: Build Awareness
The first step to tackling anxiety and worry is building awareness of how it is showing up in your life. Simply noticing what is happening within you when you start to feel anxiety and worry creeping up. Every moment of awareness gives us just enough space to not be swallowed by anxiety.
Step 2: Inviting curiosity
A powerful tool for building awareness and shifting out of anxiety is exercising curiosity. Curiosity helps us engage in our rational mind, while encouraging us to naturally notice inside and around us. We can’t heal what we can’t see, hence why building mindful awareness helps us find the insight we need to conquer the mountain of anxiety and worry.
Curiosity allows us to live in the present moment, which is essential for interrupting the future-focused cycle that anxiety and worry create. Research shows that mindfulness reduces anxiety by creating the mental space to observe our worries without being swept away by them.
Step 3: Focus on what’s happening in your body
When we focus on the sensations we feel, we shift our attention and energy away from our anxious thoughts and into our body. It’s like starving the anxiety and worry in our mind and redirecting to its root origin – the alarm in our nervous system that is triggered.
To paraphrase anxiety expert Dr. Russell Kennedy: we can’t think our way out of anxiety and worry – we have to feel our way out by tuning into what’s happening in the body.
Step 4: Building a Circle of Care
While overcoming worry and anxiety can feel like a personal journey, trying to figure it out alone can add even more pressure. A therapist can help you practice co-regulation (calming your nervous system through safe connection) while also supporting you in building tools to turn down the inner alarm and cool the flames of distress.
These practices can include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided sensory practices, humming, singing, slow eye movements, and other exercises that are proven to regulate our nervous system.
Building a support network of trusted friends, family, and professionals can provide a safe space to share your feelings and experiences. In counselling, we refer to this sacred support system a circle of care.
Sometimes talking about your worries can lift some of the emotional weight. Professional support can offer a safe space away from the pressures and expectations of the outside world, and creating room for all parts of your humanity to breathe and exist.
Yes, self care does help!
Activities such as journalling, listening to calming music, or going on a walk are simple and accessible ways to ground you in the present and ease your mind.
Physical activities like aerobic exercise and dancing have been shown in studies to significantly reduce worry and anxiety.
Exercise releases endorphins – natural mood lifters that can help combat feelings of stress and tension.
Incorporating physical activity into your routine, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day, helps alleviate anxiety and enhances your overall mood and well-being.
Treat yourself with kindness
It’s important to not shame yourself for feeling anxious and worried in the first place. Everyone experiences anxiety and that it’s a normal part of being human. Please be gentle and kind with yourself.
When anxiety and worry creep up, try to treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer a friend. Remind yourself that it’s okay to take time for self care and seek support from your circle of care.
Trust the process
Each step you take toward building awareness and self-understanding matters. Even the smallest steps can be mighty and significant.
As someone who has struggled with chronic worry and now supports fellow people on their healing journey, I can attest that each moment you spend nurturing your mental health is a step toward a more fulfilling and freeing life. Remember to take things one step at a time, one day at at time.
If you’re feeling impacted by uncertainties in your life and would like to access a healing space to work through anxiety and worries, please feel free to connect with me.
Wishing you comfort, ease, and lots of deep breathing.
With care,
Rachel
