Episode 17 - Navigating Anxiety with Five Practical Strategies

Life After Fear: Confronting Anxiety and Turning It into Fuel

In episode 17 of Life After Fear, host Courtney Schoch addresses the pressing topic of anxiety, discussing its prevalence and impact. She shares insights on what anxiety is, why it is so common today, and practical tools for managing it. The episode explores the benefits and drawbacks of anxiety, highlights the importance of mental health awareness, and offers five key strategies for managing it. Additionally, Courtney provides advice on supporting loved ones struggling with anxiety.

REFERENCES& MENTIONS

American Psychological Association

World Health Organization

Anxiety and Its Disorders: The Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and Panic

National Institute of Mental Health Anxiety Disorders

Harvard Health Publishing 

Learn more about your host Courtney Schoch

Transcript

 Hello, everyone. Welcome to episode 17 of Life After Fear, Redefine Your Limits with Courtney Schoch. This is where you confront your fears and transform your life. Today, we're going to address a topic on many minds lately: anxiety. Sometimes, just hearing the word gives people anxiety, whether you've experienced a slight unease or a full-on panic attack.

Anxiety is a feeling that we've encountered at some point. All of us have. Sometimes we're not even aware of what it is, but we've experienced it. And what exactly is it? Why are more people struggling with it today? And what can we do about it? We're going to jump into all of that and more, and I'm going to share some practical tools that have helped me in the past that can help calm your mind, help you regain control of yourself, and turn anxiety into a type of fuel rather than a roadblock. We're going to confront anxiety in a healthy way together, and we're going to show that it doesn't define who you are or hold you back.

As always, I want to preface, especially when we're dealing with mental health issues, that these are only suggestions, and I'm sharing with you what has worked for me in the past and some other people that I know. I would highly encourage you to explore this topic further if that feels right for you.

But only you can make that decision. So, let's dive in and talk about what anxiety is. Anxiety refers to feelings of worry, nervousness, and unease, and it typically concerns an impending event or something with an uncertain outcome. It's a normal reaction to stress, but for many people, it can become chronic, affecting everyday lives. 

So why is anxiety such a significant issue right now, and why does it seem that more people are experiencing it more than ever before?

Let's think about this for a moment and consider a few points. First, anxiety has existed forever. Based on some of my research, and it's been documented for centuries. In fact, the ancient Greeks referred to it as a nervousness or a restlessness. A feeling of uneasiness that's connected to fear and uncertainty.

However, it's only been in the last century that we've begun to understand it more profoundly. Particularly with the rise of psychology. As awareness of mental health has grown, so has the recognition of anxiety disorders. If you fast forward to today, it appears that anxiety is everywhere. 

According to the American Psychological Association, nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States experiences some form of anxiety disorder. And the WHO the World Health Organization, identifies anxiety as one of the most common mental health issues globally, affecting approximately 275 million people worldwide.

It's said that number has increased significantly since 2020, but why is it affecting so many people right now? There are several factors involved, in my opinion. First, we're living in such a fast-paced, high-stress world. You've heard me say it before: social media and news cycles constantly supply information.

It amplifies feelings of fear, insecurity, and comparison. And I'm sure you've heard this before, too, especially with the news or anything that grabs your attention. If it bleeds, it leads. So it grabs your attention, and you get sucked in. Typically, it's not good news. 

But we also have a deeper understanding of how our brains function.
The advances in neuroscience have clarified why anxiety can become chronic. It can result from a combination of genetics, brain chemistry, and life experiences, and that's different for everyone. If we explore the pros and cons of anxiety, yes, you heard me correctly, there can be some benefits to anxiety.

So, let's talk about that. If you experience anxiety in small doses, it can be protective. It triggers the fight or flight response, helping us stay alert and focused when facing danger. It can also motivate us to work harder or prepare more thoroughly for important events. 

However, when anxiety becomes chronic or overwhelming, the downsides can be significant. It can affect your sleep. It can negatively affect your relationships and just your overall health. It's no secret that people with chronic anxiety are more likely to experience depression, substance abuse, and possibly even physical symptoms like headaches, digestive problems, and a weakened immune system.

I attended a Tony Robbins event years ago, maybe seven or eight years ago. One of the handouts that was passed around had the saying on it: "Your brain is not designed to make you happy. Your brain is designed to help you survive." That was so important and made things click because of the way it was explained that your brain has this primitive part of it that like tries to prevent you from danger, right? It's always searching for what's wrong. Is there an animal attacking you? Or what's going on? You know, something that may kill you. And it does trigger that fight or flight syndrome. But, as we've progressed and moved forward in society, we still have that part of our brain that's always looking for what's wrong.

Because everything's delivered right to our phone and immediately to our face, our brain can be activated, and this protective part of our brain can be in hyperdrive. So we're always searching for every little thing that could go wrong, isn't going right, could blow up, and just end up really, really being a catastrophe.

And it can overwhelm us. The reality of it is, is that most of these things will never manifest, and most of these things are not an emergency that's going to threaten our ability to stay alive, but we're hardwired, and we sometimes have to be smarter than our brains. Knowing how our brain works gives us a leg up and really can help with anxiety. That was the experience that I had at the event. When I remind myself of that, It helps with that course correction. 

What does the future hold for anxiety? Well, unfortunately, it seems that anxiety is going to continue to be a widespread issue.

But there is hope. Many experts predict that increasing your mental health awareness, improved treatments, understanding how your brain works, and a deeper understanding of the causes of anxiety, or these feelings of ease or discomfort. More people will seek help and be able to manage their anxiety better.

In addition, there is a rising movement of individuals that are embracing mindfulness therapy, lifestyle changes, ways to cope with anxiety, and healthy ways of sharing. Being more in touch with your feelings doesn't have to be shameful because this is part of being a human, and being able to talk about it a little bit relieves some of that anxiety, in my opinion.

So, let's talk about some ways to deal with anxiety for both yourself and for others. Here are five ways that you could help manage your own anxiety. 

Number one, you can practice some mindfulness and meditation. Studies show that mindfulness and meditation can significantly reduce anxiety by helping you stay grounded in the present moment. And reducing the overthinking that fuels anxiety. One way that I try to stay mindful is when I feel that my mind is wandering or something like that. I try to find everything that's blue in the room and engage my senses. So that's my sight. Then, I try to focus on a smell, taste, or texture, something that grounds me back in the moment. If I start to worry about something in the future, it just sort of snaps me back. Still, I do have to engage all of my senses if I just try to say fine. One or two things that are blue in the room or my immediate surroundings or whatever color you choose.

I found in the past that that isn't quite enough   I really have to get all of my senses engaged. 

Something else you can do is exercise regularly. It's no secret that physical activity helps reduce production of stress hormones, like cortisol, and it boosts those feel good feelings, those endorphins, and it gives you a bump up.

It improves your mood and your energy levels. You could go out and take a walk or go on a run. Just move your body. Stand up and do 10 jumping jacks. It doesn't have to be anything major. And that's something that I have really, really struggled with since this knee injury, which is getting better, slower than anticipated.

In the past, my go-to was always, well, almost always, running and not being able to run or even walk very well. I could see a huge difference in my mood and behavior.   I highly encourage you, even if you can't run or even walk, move your arms around, shake your body out for a minute; it makes a huge difference, and do that regularly. My guess is that you're probably going to feel better if you're not currently in some type of exercise routine. 

The third thing that you could try to practice is deep breathing. You know, there are techniques like belly breathing or the method where you take a deep breath in for a count of four, you hold it for a count of seven and then you exhale for a count of eight and that helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn helps your body relax and calms the anxiety a little bit.

Number four is cognitive behavioral therapy, and it's one of the more effective treatments for anxiety today. At least when I was reading up on it a little bit, it helps you manage and challenge negative thought patterns and replace them with healthier, more realistic thinking.

And number five, focus on your sleep. Poor sleep can add on to the anxiety. Everybody's sleep is different. Uh, you know, some people say they only need four hours. Some people say they need ten hours. That's something that you'll need to research for yourself. Research says to aim for seven to nine hours and keep it consistent. Keep a consistent bedtime routine and create a calm sleep environment. I am the first to say that with my job, flying as an airline pilot, there is no way that I have a consistent bedtime in terms of the actual time. Things change. I fly early morning flights so I am up at 3:00 or 3:30 in the morning for a 5 a.m. wheels up time. And, depending on the hotel is quiet,  the type of bed, and the way the sheets feel. I mean, there's all the whole slew of things that I struggle with, but some things that I can stay consistent with are trying to get the room dark, trying not to use screens or any electronic devices, and staying off my phone. I've lately not been very good at that. My sleep has been all over the place. So if you have a hard time managing that, you are definitely not alone. But when I can manage it, it's awesome. So if you're able to manage your sleep, I would highly encourage that. See what works for you.

Give it a week or two; you'll probably be amazed at the difference. But if you can't manage it, you can't manage it. 

These five suggestions that I gave, they're in no specific order. Focus on what it is that you need to focus on, and if you have anything additional that you want to add, let us know. Drop a comment and share it because any little tip or suggestion could be valuable to someone else. It may not work for someone, but it may work for someone else.

Next, we're going to talk about when someone you care about is experiencing anxiety. That is just the kick in the gut. 

When we have someone that we care about, a partner, a child, a parent, a friend. And they have anxiety, and you don't know what to do to help them. It is just so, so hard and so heartbreaking. You feel helpless. But hopefully with these five suggestions, it will make you feel like you're maybe part of the solution as opposed to part of the problem.

So number one is listen without judgment. Sometimes the best thing that you can do is just listen. Allow your loved one to express their feelings without rushing to fix the situation. Empathy can go a long way. I know many of us want to control a situation and just find a solution and just make it all better.

Unfortunately, that sometimes just enables. Other times it doesn't help the person with finding ways to self soothe or problem solve on their own. Just holding space with them could be all that's required in order to get them over the bump and get them, to find their own solution, or be able to manage their own emotion.

The second thing that you could do is encourage professional help. You could gently—I put emphasis on the word gently—suggest that they see a therapist or a counselor. It can be really difficult for someone to take that first step, so offering to help them find a resource or going with them can be helpful, but that's really only if they're willing.

If you try and push this on someone, my experience has been it actually pushes them further away from that option. 

The third thing you could do is learn about anxiety. Understanding anxiety in general can make it easier to offer support. You can educate yourself on symptoms and treatment options to better understand what they're going through.

And sometimes anxiety, not sometimes, but I think almost every time, it looks different for everyone. Everyone's level is different, the way people cope with it is different, some people hold it in, some people share it. Being able to respect that. How someone else deals with it is really important and it goes back to that not passing judgment on them. I have definitely had experiences where I thought, Oh, this is ridiculous. Why are they anxious about this? That's silly. As time went on, I realized that that's not silly because That's what that person is feeling, and they're allowed to feel the way that they're feeling.

And everyone's experience in life is different, so they've got all these different factors that filter in, and my factors are different than someone else's factors. So if you truly want to help someone, try not to be judgy, and try not to be really aggressive pushing your opinion onto them. 

The fourth thing is that you could help them build a routine; structure can provide comfort. Encourage someone to follow a daily routine that includes the things that we talked about, like physical activity, being mindful, relaxation time, sleep patterns, and healthy eating. , offer these suggestions gently. Don't push them on someone.

Number five is to be patient and avoid minimizing their feelings. Sometimes, when we say things like, "Just relax and don't worry," I feel like we might be saying that to soothe ourselves rather than the other person or hoping that it soothes both of us. But doing that could invalidate their feelings.

So you want to make sure that you're reassuring them that you're there for support. And,  hold the space with them. Listen to them, have empathy, you know, make gentle suggestions, encourage the professional help if needed. I mean, every situation and conversation may feel a little bit different. So only you  can judge what needs to be said.

And if you don't know what to say, that's okay. Maybe even say, I'm sorry, I don't know what to say. I'm unsure how to help, but I'm here for you. Just be honest with them and listen to someone that you care about go through some uncomfortable feelings. And these feelings of anxiety can create anxiety for yourself.

So, go back to those other five things that we talked about for yourself in terms of having to manage your own feelings of anxiety. 

So, friends, I have gone way over my allotted time. So, let's wrap up. Anxiety is a complex and deeply personal experience, but it affects millions of people, and people are working to understand and manage it every single day. With growing awareness, Better treatments, and support from friends and family, I hope that we see some positive changes in the future. And this is just one more fear that you can overcome.   

I want to thank you for joining me today as we explored ways to face fear, embrace growth, and push past our limits. Remember, the journey is not about perfection. It's about progress and showing up for yourself, even when it's hard and, and trying to find what works for you and what doesn't work for you. 

I'd love to hear from you and see what you're doing in your life, how you're coping with things, what's outstanding, what you are celebrating, and what you are struggling with.

Please share your stories and your fears because I'm here to support you every step of the way. I'm going to include some resources and links in the show notes, so please make sure that you check those out. 

I look forward to seeing you next week. If you found today's message valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who might need it. And as always, friends, keep reaching for the sky and never settle for less than what you can be. Take care everyone, and I'll see you next week.