overcome fears and anxieites

Overcome Fear and Anxiety

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Fear is a primal experience common in the human experience. If you are alive, you have had fears and anxieties. It’s our fears become debilitating that we need to re-evaluate our relationship to them. If you find that your day or your life is constantly disrupted by anxiety, here are a few tips to overcome fear and anxiety for your modern mindset.

Overcome Fear and Anxiety in Modern World

Fear and anxiety may feel like a modern malady. Dealing with overthinking over our health, our finances, our loved ones, the state of the world, our social circles, our short-term or long-term future. The list is endless.

Even more, the fear can become more pervasive. Like the air we breathe, the overlapping occurrence of fear and anxiety can become an ever-present psychological force that buries us under its weight.

But fear is nothing new. It is a psycho-social response to our surroundings. It lets us know when we are in danger or when there might be something to protect ourselves from in the near future. If you were an early human, when you heard the thunder rolling across the plains, your adrenaline would fire because you need to act quickly. And after you experienced a flood, you would be able to imagine it happening again.

Real or Perceived Fears and Anxieties

Fear triggers a similar reaction from our bodies and brains regardless of the nature of the danger. While fear is a bit more acute—a stranger knocking at the door, heart attack symptoms, public speaking—anxiety is a persistent state of worry or fear about events in the future.

In our modern world, the dangers are less like bears and thunderstorms and more like possibilities. But they all exist, sometimes our fears mix with our anxieties and become more. They become debilitating.What do fear and anxiety feel like?

These are some of the manifestations of fear and anxiety:

  • Heavy breathing
  • A fast, irregular heartbeat
  • Sweating
  • Reduced appetite or eating too much
  • Having trouble sleeping and constant headaches
  • Dry mouth
  • Being irritable and having low self-confidence
  • Lack of focus and forgetfulness

You may feel overwhelmed. Unable to slow down or stop your mind from racing in every direction. You may feel frustrated with your loved ones. You may be irritable or easily angered. Ultimately, with prolonged exposure to these feelings, exhaustion comes into play. You begin to feel like the end of the rope is coming, and there is no way to stop it. But you have options.

Here are some ways to help you overcome fear and anxiety.

Go into nature

Nature is the most reliable and inexpensive therapist for your fear and anxiety. An activity as simple as walking alone or with a pet can help take your mind off your fears. A jog can help switch your mind from anxious thoughts to clear and relaxed thinking. Here in Newport Beach, California, we have the benefit of the peace that radiates from the ocean. Get your feet in some sand. Get your hands in some water. Take care of yourself every day with a connection to nature. Couple this with gentle movements for stress relief and you will have the foundation for less stress and anxiety.

Focus on your breathing

Your breath is your center. It is automatic and it is also available for us to use as a centering discipline. Focusing on breathing during your anxiety episodes takes your mind off the stressful situation and focuses on breathing, calming you in the process.

There are different techniques of intentional breath work that you can use to calm your mind. An example is the 4-second inhalation, 7-second breath-holding, and finally, 8-second exhalation technique.

Mindfulness-based medication

Mindfulness and Meditation is the act of creating space. It allows your mind, body, and spirit to discover how often you operate in one channel over another. It is a mental practice that helps you focus on the present moment by observing anxiety symptoms and being passive—non-judgmental of them. This helps raise your self-awareness and keeps you from reacting as you usually would when you experience fear and anxiety.

You can couple this with medication to help you with acute symptoms such as headaches or racing thoughts.

Therapy

Psychotherapy can help you develop new and effective coping mechanisms. There are different types of therapy techniques that a therapist can utilize. Some of them include.

Medication

Sometimes the therapist may combine psychotherapy with medication. Some common medication for anxiety includes:

  • Benzodiazepines
  • Buspirone
  • Antidepressants

Find Help at Our Mental Health Facility in Orange County

While there are many pathways to peace, often our anxieties are simply too powerful to navigate alone. At Lido Wellness Center in Newport Beach, we have years of experience walking with people through their healing journey. With our holistic mental health approach, our patients the version of themselves that can live fully and in the present. If you are looking for someone to talk to about your anxiety and fears, call us today. We would be happy to help you find your next step to wholeness.