Anxiety is an important emotion as it keeps us physically safe. When a psychotic rabies-infected emu threatens to maul you, anxiety will prompt you to flee the danger. But that doesn’t happen often. Unhealthily high anxiety levels are generally not helpful.
Words: Paul Martin is the Senior Psychologist at the Centre for Human Potential.
Anxiety can severely impact and limit the most important areas of our lives. Ignore it, and it can get worse over time. You might end up avoiding issues and finding it difficult to function effectively. Fortunately, there are strategies to ensure you keep your anxiety at a healthy level.
Anxiety is basically the sense that something bad is going to happen. It focuses always on the future, whether mere seconds or a decade away.
Anxiety is the feeling you get after you send a wildly inappropriate SMS to your f___ buddy Slamma.
“Can’t wait to see you in that Cher wig, pounding Thai basil dip onto my pink bits with a Ken Doll.”
But then you discover Siri directed the message to Nana instead of Slamma. Now, that’s anxiety. Your heart races, thoughts become unclear and cloudy, your body temperature increases, you feel shaky and tight in your chest. You know Nana will be unhappy. Your entire body and mind transform to a state of readiness, preparing to fight, flee or freeze depending on circumstances. But truthfully, Nana is no real threat. Still, your brain has powered down. Don’t expect rational decision making or emotional intelligence.
Not an ideal response during a job interview or other important life event.
Overcoming unhealthy anxiety
To overcome unhealthy levels of anxiety, focus on two main areas. Firstly, your body’s response and secondly, what you think at the time.
When you deliberately calm your body with slow and controlled breathing, your brain understands you are not under physical attack and regulates your heart rate. This is the first thing to do when you feel very anxious. Also, write down your worst thoughts — the catastrophic and future-oriented thoughts. Challenge those irrational thoughts, and question yourself.
“How is that actually so terrible? Is it really worse than being tortured for days on end by a demon-possessed acid-tripping nun on a remote Czechoslovakian hilltop?”
Also, challenge ‘what if’ about the future.
“How is it that I’ve suddenly developed the capacity to predict the future and how do I know that will definitely happen?”
Ensure you also regularly take time out for soothing activities that rest your mind. For those who have ongoing challenges with unhealthy levels of anxiety, it can be worth seeing your GP for a Mental Health Care Plan. Or see a psychologist who can work with you to develop insights and tools to get back in control. Consider a place with a strong focus and understanding for those in our LGBTIQ+ communities such as Centre for Human Potential.
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