by Heather Hill, MSS,
LCSW
In my
therapy practice and through personal observation, I’ve noticed that anxiety
seems to be on the rise. Anxiety can
be a normal response to stress. It’s a feeling of
nervousness or unease, about an imminent event or a situation with an uncertain
outcome. It’s the alarm system in our brains that tells us danger is
approaching and prepares us to fight, flee, or freeze. However, anxiety
can turn on us when our alarm system is sensitive or faulty, setting off
emergency sirens all the time. When our alarm system isn’t working
properly, excess anxiety creeps in and interferes with our ability to be
present, enjoy ourselves, and take risks to achieve meaningful goals. Our lives become smaller and smaller
and we feel worse about ourselves. Anxiety can be persistent, like a
weed; and if it’s not tended to, it can choke out the healthy life around it.
Fortunately, anxiety can be kept in check if you learn, and more
importantly practice, the art of letting go.
Why
Anxiety is on the Rise
Strategies for Letting Go of Anxiety:
1. Connect
to Nature
Many people feel less anxiety after spending time in nature.
Outside in a natural setting, our senses can be more engaged and we are
less distracted by our minds. In addition, we are most likely exercising
when outside. A Stanford study
found that walking for 90 minutes in nature vs walking in an urban setting had
an effect on the prefrontal cortex in the brain that is responsible for
rumination. Read more about the study here: https://news.stanford.edu/2015/06/30/hiking-mental-health-063015/
You don’t have to be close to a forest or a beach to reap the
healing properties of nature. A picture or a view of nature has been
shown to relieve stress and anxiety. “Nature, whether you’re in the woods far away from it all, in
a city park, or simply walking down a tree-lined street, has the power to make
people feel new again. Studies have shown that a simple walk in nature can
reduce anxiety, keep your spirits high, and even improve memory. Even just
looking at photographs of greenery for less than a minute can give you a mood
boost. Spending time in nature reduces stress and helps people feel energetic
and more alive, according to scientists at the University of Rochester (Brown and Ryan, 2003). A recent study used mobile EEG devices
to monitor participants’ emotions during a walk in nature. Researchers also
found that people were more likely to experience meditative-like brain waves
and exhibit less frustration if they were walking in a green space, compared to
a bustling shopping street or a busy business area (Aspinall et al., 2013).”
Read more at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6085576/
On the
Restorative Nature Walk held here at The Resiliency Center every Monday, you
can practice many of the suggestions listed here to identify, accept, and let
go of your anxiety. During the
walk, we don’t try to achieve a certain amount of steps; but walk mindfully and
slowly, stopping when a butterfly or bird delights us. We strive to be present to ourselves,
each other and the natural world and by the end of the hour, we all feel
slightly less anxious.
2. Return
to the Body
According
to Deepak Chopra (Read More at http://www.oprah.com/spirit/deepak-chopra-breaking-the-cycle-of-anxiety ), anxiety gets stuck when
it stays in the mind. If we recognize the energy we are devoting to
thinking and overthinking, and tune in to the way our bodies are feeling, we
can return to a natural state of calm.
Chopra advises that if we break down anxiety into each bodily sensation,
we address one sensation at a time and gradually calm the entire body. For example, if anxiety makes your
breathing shallow, concentrate on taking slow deep breaths. In addition
to this practice, exercising, gentle stretching or yoga will help regulate our
nervous system and help restore balance. Elsewhere in this newsletter, Karen
Steinbrecher offers a Qigong practice for connecting with the body to release
anxiety.
3. Surrender
the Ego
We
may feel like we have to shoulder the burden of our fears alone because we
don’t want to appear “weak”. Or,
as a defense against uncertainty, we paradoxically try to control more, not let
less. Acting counter to that instinct, by admitting your human
limitations and practicing humility could yield greater connection to self and
others. Sometimes telling one
other supportive and trusted person how we feel can be the most powerful step
in reducing the negative impact of our fears.
4. Start
Meditating
When
anxiety threatens to overwhelm your capacity to cope, it is a great time to
begin a meditation practice. One unique way to start meditating that
incorporates nature is to find a “Sit Spot”, or a place you are drawn to in
nature that you visit regularly for your meditation practice. Find more information about it in this
article: http://inmynature.life/ideal-sit-spot/
5. Turn
off the Phone
Social
media and technology magnify worry by making us feel like we are missing out on
news, social events or the latest trends. We blur the boundaries of work
and home life when we have access to emails right in our pockets. We have a minute to check social media
and we find ourselves suddenly feeling angry about something not “liked” or a
tweet. Try an experiment and turn off the social media for one
month.
6. Add
in Gratitude
In the
tunnel vision of anxiety, we are probably not aware of gratitude. At any time, no matter what is going
on, one can always find something to be grateful for, especially by looking
around in the natural world. Start a Gratitude Journal, to capture
moments or observations in your day that you’re thankful for. Sometimes, this
practice helps us develop the mental flexibility to change channels or expand
awareness and therefore dilute the anxious thoughts.
Heather Hill, MSS, LCSW has been
a psychotherapist for over 10 years. She specializes in helping teenage
girls and women who struggle with anxiety and depression. Heather is passionate
about using nature and ecotherapuetic approaches to overcome mental health
challenges . She can be reached at Heatherhilltherapy@gmail.com or 215-485-7205.
