Anxiety Therapy in Charlotte, NC - Leaning into the Discomfort

When thinking about anxiety, you may also think about avoidance. Anxiety impacts how we function it can tell us what to avoid maintaining a sense of safety. Anxiety is there to keep us safe and does keep us safe. Anxiety however can really inhibit us from living the life we would like to live. Below are some tips on how to lean into the discomforts that anxiety tries to get us to avoid. These tips are for those that have anxiety taking over their life and would like to develop some coping skills to help.  

1.)  Start by writing down your thoughts and acknowledge any patterns in your thinking:

Anxiety normally stems from past experiences to where we have developed patterns in which we respond to what happens around us based on the past. Take some time to actually write down what is making you anxious. Once it is written on the paper, examine where that thought might be coming from for you. Then you can examine how realistic and true the thought is. Maybe there are some distortions in the anxious thought patterns you experience. If so, know that’s normal and its okay! Acknowledging is the first step in being able to disrupt some of the patterns that you experience with anxiety.

2.)   Separate yourself from your anxiety by writing a letter to your anxiety:

You are not your anxiety! Anxiety is a part of you that you experience. Your whole identity however is not anxiety. Sometimes we may feel like anxiety has taken over our lives. But if we can externalize it or personify it as just a part of ourselves, it can make it seem less intimidating. If your anxiety was your pen pal what would you want to write about? What would you like to say to your anxiety? Doing that exercise can possibly give you more insight into how you experience anxiety.  

3.)  Allow yourself to process your anxiety with help from a therapist in Charlotte, NC:

Here at Inward counseling we have a great team of therapists that all specialize in stress and anxiety. We are here to help! Reaching out to a therapist may feel intimidating at first but having a safe place to talk about your experiences with anxiety and stress can be very helpful in helping to be able to heal your anxiety and be able to manage it better.

4.)   Integrate movement, and mindfulness practice into your daily routines:

An exercise routine and mindfulness routine are all helpful in maintaining control over anxiety. Sometimes with having a busy schedule it may seem daunting to put time into a routine when you have so many other things that you need to attend to in your life. It doesn’t need to be so organized. You can incorporate exercise into your routine depending on your day. It also doesn’t have to be for a long time. Taking 15 minutes at least out of your day to incorporate exercise and movement is a great start. Mindfulness practice can be helpful in making it easier to not pay as much attention to anxious thoughts. It’s not avoiding anxiety but instead making the conscious decision whether or not to let a thought control our actions and behaviors that mindfulness helps with.

It is also important to recognize that coming to therapy and healing from anxiety may feel and be uncomfortable at first. You are being asked to be vulnerable. Vulnerability can feel hard, but it is worth it. I will also leave you with this… anxiety is like holding a glass of water. When we hold it for some time we may feel okay, but the longer we hold it the more tired we get. We need to learn when to put down the glass. Reach out to us to start your healing journey.

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