Strategies for Serenity
Tools to Help with Stress and Anxiety.
Anxiety and stress are cruel. Their symptoms are often sneaky, and when they’re obvious they aren’t so easy to undermine unless you know the tricks. For most of us, when we’re under stress or feel anxious we tighten up. This is a physical attempt to keep things ‘under control.’ Unfortunately this ancient instinct doesn’t serve us very well. Ironically, when we learn to release and lean in to this discomfort, we can start to get a handle on it.
Chinese medicine believes that the mind and body are two sides of the same coin. This means that addressing one has an affect on the other, and vice versa. In this article I’ll give tips and tricks you can use right away to address the physical and emotional aspects of anxiety.
Physical:
The manifestations of stress and anxiety are as varied as the people who suffer them. However, some are more common than others.
1. Neck and Shoulders - We tighten our muscles in order to create a physical sense of 'holding ourselves together' when anxiety makes us feel unstable. Often this occurs in the shoulders, but we can also hold our emotions in our back or hips. Constantly working these muscles will lead to fatigue over time and makes us more vulnerable to injury. The first step to correction is recognition: periodically during the day, do a brief body scan to see where muscles may be tight and release them. For the neck and shoulders make sure the head is back, the shoulders are down and back, and posture is upright. An additional benefit to relaxing these muscles is the biofeedback to our autonomic nervous system. Tight muscles send a signal to the central nervous system that we need to be prepared for a threat. Conversely, asking those muscles to relax will downregulate our fight or flight response. Stretching and lengthening exercises like yoga, pilates, qi gong or tai chi are also excellent ways to work muscles gently while also practicing mindfulness.
2. Jaw - Grinding our teeth is a common issue as we try to 'chew' on our anxieties. This can happen while we're awake or while we sleep. If you tend to grind while you're awake, try to be mindful of when you do it and allow your jaw to relax. With time you will get better at recognizing and correcting the behavior. If you grind while sleeping you can't recognize it, so a bite guard will at least help to protect your teeth. Acupressure massage of the mastoid muscle and surrounding tissue can ease some of the pain.
3. Headaches - These often happen together with neck and shoulder pain, especially when the tightness is at the base of the skull (called the occiput). If you are getting headaches from stress and anxiety it's crucial that you pay close attention to what your shoulders are doing and be vigilant with your posture. Neck stretches, head rolls and massage are good tools to help manage the symptoms.
4. Palpitations and Shortness of Breath - Anxiety can reach a point where we feel acutely threatened. Our body may respond by increasing our heart rate and forcing shallow breaths as we go into flight mode. However, since there is no clear threat we get locked in this negative feedback loop. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, running your fingers down your sternum, or applying pressure to acupuncture point PC 6 (two inches behind the inner wrist) are tactics to help you ride out the anxiety attack.
5. Stomach problems - Issues of the gut from swallowing or stress are difficult to manage when they're occurring, prevention is the best option. Eating foods that are easily digestible and mild on the stomach is important; avoid fatty, oily foods, dairy, and excessively heavy meals. If you're struggling with constipation, natural options like watermelon, papaya and nuts are good options. Avoid laxatives or other harsh purgatives.
Emotional:
The physical manifestations of stress and anxiety are the 'branch', and the only way to eliminate them is to address the 'root.' While managing symptoms can help with curbing anxiety, if the triggers are not addressed then efforts are just a stop-gap.
1. Mindfulness - Mindfulness is anything that gets you out of your head and in the present moment. Meditation, gardening, cooking, dancing, art, music - these are all viable methods. Be careful not to slip into escapism; the point is to be present in the moment, not running from something else.
2. Breathing Exercises - Diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, has been shown to alter brain chemistry. It affects the sympathetic nervous system, moderating our physical responses to stress and anxiety. Being conscious of our breath gives us a powerful and immediate tool for self-care.
3. Diet and Nutrition - What we feed ourselves is a major driver of how we feel, but it's often the last thing we consider in cases of mental-emotional discomfort. For instance, excessive coffee intake may cause rapid heart rate, sweating, increased blood pressure and a slew of other signs that can present as anxiety. Because we 'feel' anxious, we become anxious. Other imbalances can contribute as well. Research has found that relative levels of zinc and copper in the body can contribute to a sense of anxiety. Other supplements like red tea can control cortisol levels.
Crucially, everyone's presentation is different. Anxiety can come from an excess (i.e. high stress environment, trauma) or a deficiency (hormone imbalance, depression). Understanding the root causes informs the best course of treatment. A lot of that work can be done on our own, but often the guidance of a professional is needed to help us along the way.
Sources:
Ma, X., Yue, Z.-Q., Gong, Z.-Q., Zhang, H., Duan, N.-Y., Shi, Y.-T., Wei, G.-X., & Li, Y.-F. (2017, June 6). The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in psychology. Retrieved August 24, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5455070/
Russo, A. J. (2011, February 7). Decreased zinc and increased copper in individuals with anxiety. Nutrition and metabolic insights. Retrieved August 24, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3738454/
