Let’s make a 5 point action plan of how we can reduce anxiety about the situation. In this blog, we will cover the first point, Switch off the Triggers.
How can we reduce our anxiety about the current situation?
The first important change is to switch off the news and other anxiety producing triggers like stressful social media! The 24-hour news cycle that we now have, doesn’t allow us to reflect, center ourselves and take stock of the situation.
If we are glued to the latest email newsletter, or the Facebook frenzy, our anxiety is fed each time we watch it. But it also doesn’t allow us to get to our real feelings underneath. In this way, we are misusing anxiety to distract us from our authentic feelings and needs, leaving our emotions stuck, repressed and ready to spring when it’s least helpful.
So it’s really important not to get caught in the drama aspect of it.
Yes, we are in a challenging situation, and it is important to be kept informed. But it’s also important not to let the morbid curiosity of following every statistic take over our compassionate adult self. It is the compassionate adult within us that helps take the best care of ourselves in these times. So when you are indulging the drama, ask yourself “Is this what I really need, or is it time to switch it off and shift gears?”
I am not suggesting that you be in denial about what is happening, or that you should suddenly become a hermit.
I am recommending that you take charge of taking care of your own mind and well-being. It’s a tremendous act of self-care and self-love to moderate your indulges. You wouldn’t allow a child to eat 5 chocolate bars in a row, would you? Let’s treat ourselves with the same love, self-care and respect as we ideally would our own child.
