Lots of relaxation techniques for anxiety focus on immediate symptoms, but not the underlying cause of the problem. A few of popular anxiety reduction techniques even work consistently, provided the symptoms are mild. If you suffer from mild anxiety from time to time, it is always good to have a few relaxation techniques in your hip pocket when you need to calm down a bit.
What about the deeper, stronger anxiety symptoms that come and go when they darn well feel like it? What about the anxiety that, no matter how hard you have tried, you have never been able to control? There is good news and bad news.
The good news: you can absolutely overcome these much tougher symptoms of anxiety.
The bad news: you’ll need to address the deeper issues along with the symptoms to get lasting results.
The good news about the bad news: it is character building! You will learn a lot about yourself that you probably would not have bothered to learn otherwise. In the end, you will end up grateful for everything that you anxiety led you to learn.
Approaching the deeper issues around anxiety. It is wise to do so on at least two levels:
Physical: the latest in medical research suggests that the brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN) is a powerful player in emotional life. Consuming up to 80% of the brain’s energy when active the DMN is associated with “self-referential thoughts” or mind wandering. Basically, it is the autopilot mental processes and resulting tensions that the DMN churns out when you are not consciously engaged in a task.
If you’re mind is out of control, as if it were running you, rather than the other way around, your DMN is hyperactive, which has been associated with an impressive number of psychological conditions. It is time to tame the DMN, which is what our chronic stress program is all about.
Emotional: High anxiety is often related to poor emotional boundaries, which leads to confusion about when to stop taking emotional responsibility for events and interactions. This is a deep issue that can take years to sort out, but still can be easily understood with the following analogy:
Imagine an open rain barrel in a monsoon storm, peppered with incessant raindrops and overflowing. This is your emotional life, with constant emotional data entering your body. It can be overwhelming and very difficult to contain. Now, put a waterproof lid on the barrel. Boundary installed!
Of course, your psyche is not as simple as a rain barrel, but the same logic applies. The nature of the emotional boundary that you install is a result of your inner process and the maturity you gain as you do your emotional work.
This multi-level approach to dealing with your anxiety is the closest to a guarantee of results that you will ever find.
