Tips for Coping with Anxiety

By Denise Humphrey, Ph.D., www.DeniseHumphrey.com

Anxiety is a normal part of the human experience and can serve a healthy role in our lives. When we experience anxiety over an upcoming test, job interview, big presentation or an important decision, the anxiety can serve as a motivator for extra preparation. Anxiety becomes problematic when it interferes with one’s ability to enjoy life, accomplish tasks and maintain a physically and emotionally healthy lifestyle.

Anxiety also feeds on anxiety. The more anxiety-inducing situations that are present in our lives, the more reactive we may become from one situation to the next. In other words, when faced with a great deal of stress in our lives, we begin to sweat the big stuff and the small stuff. Learning to manage anxiety is not only important for our mental well-being, but for our physical well-being as well. An over abundance of anxiety severely taxes our adrenals  (home of the “fight or flight” response) and floods the body with toxic levels of cortisol. Anxiety is not just an emotional experience, it is a physical one as well.

Tips for Coping with Anxiety

1. Seek Action or Acceptance. Oftentimes we spin our wheels worrying and obsessing over issues that are outside our control. When faced with this sort of anxiety, ask yourself if there is anything you can do to solve the problem, and if so, take action. If not, accept that there are situations in life that are outside of one’s ability to control.
2. Seek Comfort. Anxiety occurs when we are outside of our comfort zone, while this can be a good thing (i.e., achieving goals, scoring well on tests, getting the promotion), it can also be a negative (i.e., experiencing anxiety over issues outside of our control). Anxiety puts us in a state of discomfort. When experiencing anxiety, seek out circumstantially appropriate comfort. Comfort may come in the form of preparation for a task, spending relaxing “me” time, or engaging in the counsel and love of friends and family. The key is to acknowledge the discomfort and find the appropriate comforting solution.
3. Seek Counseling. Chronic anxiety is often a manifestation of deep personal issues. Many people live in a constant state of anxiety — they are always in a state of fight or flight. They may live with a knot in their stomach or experience chronic headaches, and they are a constant “nervous wreck.” This type of anxiety can wreak havoc on one’s ability to live a rewarding life. Engaging in a therapy can be very beneficial in uncovering and healing the hidden source behind the anxiety while learning how to navigate life’s ups and downs with a healthy perspective.

Denise Humphrey, Ph.D
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Humphrey today! 972-239-2490

CREDENTIALS
•    Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology:  Fielding Graduate University
•    Master of Music in Piano Performance:  University of Notre Dame
•    Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance:  Southern Methodist University
•    License No. and State: 32345 Texas
•    Board of Trustees, Dallas Foundation for Psychoanalysis
•    Chair, Arts Committee for the Dallas Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology
•    Member, National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology