UTSKRIFT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.399
We appreciate your interest in today's Meditation
00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:05.459
Life Skills podcast. We sincerely grateful for
00:00:05.459 --> 00:00:28.160
your support. If you are stressing out over something
00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:30.699
worrying you, it's safe to say you are anxious.
00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:33.740
In other words, anxiety and stress are very closely
00:00:33.740 --> 00:00:36.320
related. As a matter of fact, they create similar
00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:41.039
symptoms. The symptoms of stress. Anger, difficulty
00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:44.460
sleeping, irritability, fatigue, muscular pain,
00:00:44.820 --> 00:00:48.659
digestive issues. The symptoms of anxiety. It's
00:00:48.659 --> 00:00:51.740
hard to focus and concentrate. Fatigue, rapid
00:00:51.740 --> 00:00:54.679
breathing, muscular pain and tension, increased
00:00:54.679 --> 00:00:58.549
heart rate. Irritability Stress and anxiety are
00:00:58.549 --> 00:01:01.090
both emotional responses. They're how a person
00:01:01.090 --> 00:01:03.189
deals with what's happening around their thoughts.
00:01:03.789 --> 00:01:06.409
Usually, stress is caused by some external factor.
00:01:07.010 --> 00:01:09.129
Maybe you're arguing with a friend. Something
00:01:09.129 --> 00:01:11.510
happened and the two of you are at odds. You
00:01:11.510 --> 00:01:13.930
both care for each other, so this is very stressful.
00:01:14.629 --> 00:01:17.209
In these short -term situations, reconciliation
00:01:17.209 --> 00:01:20.609
can end the stress. Some stress is long -term.
00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:23.409
If a person suffers from a chronic disease, their
00:01:23.409 --> 00:01:25.569
physical health problems can lead to mental stress
00:01:25.569 --> 00:01:28.349
that might be experienced daily. In this case,
00:01:28.709 --> 00:01:30.750
some outside source has triggered the stress
00:01:30.750 --> 00:01:33.390
response, as with most other issues where stress
00:01:33.390 --> 00:01:36.430
is experienced. How anxiety is different from
00:01:36.430 --> 00:01:39.090
stress. We mentioned earlier that anxiety can
00:01:39.090 --> 00:01:42.049
be a response to a stressful situation. If you
00:01:42.049 --> 00:01:43.969
and your friend have a serious argument, that
00:01:43.969 --> 00:01:47.180
can cause a lot of anxiety. Anxiety differs from
00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:49.620
stress because it usually doesn't go away when
00:01:49.620 --> 00:01:52.780
the stressor is removed. It's a worry taken to
00:01:52.780 --> 00:01:55.260
the extreme. This is often worrying about things
00:01:55.260 --> 00:01:57.459
that aren't actually troublesome. The person
00:01:57.459 --> 00:01:59.859
experiencing anxiety perceives some issue that
00:01:59.859 --> 00:02:02.879
really isn't there. Whereas stress is often fleeting,
00:02:03.180 --> 00:02:06.760
anxiety is commonly persistent. Treating mild
00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:09.560
anxiety. If your anxiety doesn't threaten to
00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:11.620
keep you from dealing with your daily responsibilities,
00:02:12.099 --> 00:02:15.000
it can respond to simple treatment. Being physically
00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:17.020
active is often enough to trigger a feel -good
00:02:17.020 --> 00:02:19.199
chemical response that helps you overcome mild
00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:22.039
anxiety. Regularly getting plenty of restful
00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:24.919
sleep, enjoying a healthy, nutritious diet, and
00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:27.099
discussing your problems with loved ones are
00:02:27.099 --> 00:02:29.479
other coping mechanisms that defeat short -term
00:02:29.479 --> 00:02:32.520
or mild anxiety. If you are regularly anxious
00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:34.939
and these treatments don't help, consult a mental
00:02:34.939 --> 00:02:37.349
health professional. When your anxiety affects
00:02:37.349 --> 00:02:39.590
your normal daily functioning, it threatens your
00:02:39.590 --> 00:02:41.830
quality of life and can lead to serious mental
00:02:41.830 --> 00:02:44.990
and physical health problems if not treated properly.
00:02:48.050 --> 00:02:50.710
Three tips for better grounding to reduce anxiety.
00:02:51.370 --> 00:02:53.930
Were you ever grounded as a child? This is a
00:02:53.930 --> 00:02:56.469
form of punishment. If you somehow ran afoul
00:02:56.469 --> 00:02:58.569
of your parents' rules, they would ground you
00:02:58.569 --> 00:03:01.330
to your room or some other specific space. The
00:03:01.330 --> 00:03:03.550
idea is that you can't leave that space for a
00:03:03.550 --> 00:03:06.139
certain amount of time. Grounded children learn
00:03:06.139 --> 00:03:08.659
to make the best out of a bad situation. They
00:03:08.659 --> 00:03:10.599
look around their punishment environment to find
00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:12.719
something in this confined area that will distract
00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:15.080
them. They engage their senses with what they
00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:17.199
have access to rather than thinking about things
00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:19.240
they aren't able to do, play with their friends,
00:03:19.340 --> 00:03:21.819
watch television, ride their bicycle. If you
00:03:21.819 --> 00:03:24.120
need to deal with anxiety, you can ground yourself
00:03:24.120 --> 00:03:27.419
as an adult. This form of therapeutic grounding
00:03:27.419 --> 00:03:29.960
is similar to your punishment as a child. You
00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:32.000
limit your sensory involvement to the immediate
00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.719
area. This involves attaching yourself to the
00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:37.340
right -now moment and your current physical space.
00:03:38.819 --> 00:03:40.439
Here are three tips that will help you get more
00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.719
anxiety relief from grounding. One, practice
00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:46.400
makes perfect. The human brain is an amazing
00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:49.240
computer. You can program it to do so many things.
00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:51.780
Many of your skills and
Load full transcript
abilities were developed
00:03:51.780 --> 00:03:55.719
thanks to you repeatedly practicing them. Practice
00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:57.560
grounding and you will get better at it over
00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:00.180
time. This is because your mind recognizes things
00:04:00.180 --> 00:04:02.949
you do repeatedly. It assumes that if you consciously
00:04:02.949 --> 00:04:05.449
repeat certain behaviors, they must benefit you
00:04:05.449 --> 00:04:08.229
or you wouldn't do them. Where grounding is concerned,
00:04:08.590 --> 00:04:11.449
practice is powerful. Calm yourself and engage
00:04:11.449 --> 00:04:14.770
your senses. What do you see, smell, hear, touch,
00:04:14.849 --> 00:04:18.269
and taste right now? Ground yourself in the present
00:04:18.269 --> 00:04:21.550
moment only. Take your focus away from what's
00:04:21.550 --> 00:04:23.990
causing you anxiety. Place it in your immediate
00:04:23.990 --> 00:04:26.610
environment. The more you practice this, the
00:04:26.610 --> 00:04:28.310
better you'll get at removing your focus from
00:04:28.310 --> 00:04:32.110
what's making you anxious. 2. Build a support
00:04:32.110 --> 00:04:34.589
network. The people you care about can help you
00:04:34.589 --> 00:04:36.670
with this process. Teach them what grounding
00:04:36.670 --> 00:04:39.430
does for you and why you use it. Enlisting help
00:04:39.430 --> 00:04:41.870
this way can be wonderful, because sometimes
00:04:41.870 --> 00:04:44.250
anxiety might be sneaking up on you without you
00:04:44.250 --> 00:04:46.649
recognizing it. A friend may be able to tell
00:04:46.649 --> 00:04:48.490
you that you might benefit from some grounding
00:04:48.490 --> 00:04:51.649
if they see warning signs of anxiety. They may
00:04:51.649 --> 00:04:54.389
say, are you feeling anxious? Let's do some grounding.
00:04:54.810 --> 00:04:56.990
What color is the shirt I'm wearing? How does
00:04:56.990 --> 00:04:59.230
your clothing feel on you? What do you smell
00:04:59.230 --> 00:05:02.420
right now? What sounds are you hearing? Anxiety
00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:04.680
involves worrying and obsessing over some real
00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:07.699
or perceived thought or experience. It's usually
00:05:07.699 --> 00:05:09.420
not something that's going on in your current
00:05:09.420 --> 00:05:11.620
moment. This is why you want to keep your eyes
00:05:11.620 --> 00:05:14.180
open and focus on the physically present things
00:05:14.180 --> 00:05:16.800
around you right now. If you close your eyes
00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:19.600
and limit your sensory input dramatically, this
00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:21.680
can allow your mind to wander to those anxious
00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:24.480
feelings and experiences. Open your eyes for
00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:26.579
a better grounding experience and let them take
00:05:26.579 --> 00:05:29.060
in all the visual input in your immediate environment.
00:05:29.819 --> 00:05:32.259
Using your senses to ground you in reality can
00:05:32.259
--> 00:05:35.060
calm an anxious mind. These three tips help improve
00:05:35.060 --> 00:05:37.800
your grounding so you enjoy less stress and anxiety.
00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:41.519
The four A's of stress relief can help reduce
00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:44.660
feelings of anxiety. A little anxiety from time
00:05:44.660 --> 00:05:46.860
to time is normal. You're running late to work,
00:05:47.139 --> 00:05:48.939
your boss already has talked with you about showing
00:05:48.939 --> 00:05:51.259
up on time, you haven't been the most punctual
00:05:51.259 --> 00:05:53.540
employee in the past, and here you are running
00:05:53.540 --> 00:05:56.360
late again. It's a common reaction to get anxious
00:05:56.360 --> 00:05:59.040
about this situation. Did you let the cat out
00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:00.980
before you left home this morning? Are you going
00:06:00.980 --> 00:06:02.720
to make the right impression on a first date?
00:06:03.259 --> 00:06:05.120
This is the first time you're giving a presentation
00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.500
at work, and the company owner will be in attendance
00:06:07.500 --> 00:06:10.399
with several other company bigwigs. Are you properly
00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:12.439
prepared for this experience that can make or
00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:15.819
break your career? These are examples of normally
00:06:15.819 --> 00:06:18.480
tense situations. Even though they aren't as
00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:20.819
unhealthy as chronic anxiety, you'd still like
00:06:20.819 --> 00:06:23.290
to avoid them. To get the upper hand on anxious
00:06:23.290 --> 00:06:25.850
feelings, whether irregular or infrequent, put
00:06:25.850 --> 00:06:28.990
the four A's of stress relief to work. Avoid,
00:06:29.529 --> 00:06:34.889
Alter, Accept, and Adapt. Avoid. Extreme cases
00:06:34.889 --> 00:06:37.329
of anxiety may not be influenced by your surroundings
00:06:37.329 --> 00:06:39.910
or the people you deal with. The constant worry
00:06:39.910 --> 00:06:41.990
and obsession over something happens regardless
00:06:41.990 --> 00:06:44.649
of where and who you're with. In many cases,
00:06:44.930 --> 00:06:47.290
though, feelings of anxiety can be reduced or
00:06:47.290 --> 00:06:49.610
overcome entirely by avoiding the people, places,
00:06:49.709 --> 00:06:52.050
and things that are causing them. This might
00:06:52.050 --> 00:06:54.110
only apply when you can control your surroundings
00:06:54.110 --> 00:06:57.089
and who you spend your time with. If you can,
00:06:57.329 --> 00:06:59.889
avoid people that make you anxious. Control your
00:06:59.889 --> 00:07:02.449
surroundings, your environment. Avoid taking
00:07:02.449 --> 00:07:04.750
on lots of unnecessary responsibilities that
00:07:04.750 --> 00:07:07.470
can ramp up your anxiety. Steer clear of things
00:07:07.470 --> 00:07:10.930
you know are likely to make you anxious. Alter.
00:07:12.089 --> 00:07:14.149
This stress reduction practice is empowering.
00:07:14.529 --> 00:07:16.949
You take action. Look at what's happening around
00:07:16.949 --> 00:07:18.790
you and attempt to change the environment or
00:07:18.790 --> 00:07:21.500
situation to create more positive feelings. You
00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:23.600
may ask others to engage in some different type
00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:26.079
of behavior. Speak about your feelings and why
00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:28.120
you hope things can be altered to address those
00:07:28.120 --> 00:07:31.160
feelings. Changing how you manage your time is
00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:33.639
a simple way to avoid a lot of unnecessary anxiety.
00:07:34.220 --> 00:07:36.420
If you can change or alter stressors making you
00:07:36.420 --> 00:07:41.740
feel anxious, do so. Accept. Acceptance is an
00:07:41.740 --> 00:07:44.339
anxiety killer. You realize you can't avoid or
00:07:44.339 --> 00:07:46.680
alter a situation that worries you. If you can
00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:48.439
accept that most of life will be out of your
00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:51.079
control, this acceptance can replace anxiety.
00:07:51.540 --> 00:07:53.480
You act on what you can influence or control,
00:07:53.779 --> 00:07:58.779
not what you can't. Adopt. Accepting that you,
00:07:58.860 --> 00:08:01.300
unfortunately, can't control everything provides
00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:04.120
you with another option. Why not adapt instead?
00:08:04.579 --> 00:08:06.519
If you're faced with anxiety from a situation
00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:09.000
you must constantly experience and can't control,
00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:12.120
then adapt. Develop positive mantras that make
00:08:12.120 --> 00:08:14.759
you feel good. Remember that this anxiety is
00:08:14.759 --> 00:08:17.040
a choice your emotions make and decide to feel
00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:20.680
differently. Adjust the way you look at a situation.
00:08:21.699 --> 00:08:24.100
After you experience anxiety and nothing bad
00:08:24.100 --> 00:08:27.339
happens, remind yourself of this later. It can
00:08:27.339 --> 00:08:29.920
take the negative power out of anxiety. You look
00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:31.839
back and realize that you may have been obsessing
00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:35.360
and worrying for no reason. These four A's of
00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:38.080
stress relief can help you experience fewer anxious
00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:40.860
feelings. You reduce your level of anxiety and
00:08:40.860 --> 00:08:43.919
create more positive emotions. If these and your
00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:45.919
other efforts to reduce anxiety don't create
00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:48.179
the outcome you're looking for, talk to a mental
00:08:48.179 --> 00:08:49.960
health professional as soon as possible.