10 results for tag: Anxiety
Being Better Humans Support Group (Online)!
Come join the circle!
What are we doing?
We are a support group of people discussing their honest feelings on relationships, drugs, love, sex, money, and work. We’ll pick a topic, trade stories, have a moderated discussion, and maybe scream, cry, or yell (if needed). We’ll dive in deep and not let fear keep us from expressing who we really are. We’ll explore what makes us amazing and far from amazing, where we need to grow and what gets in the way of growing, how to trust ourselves and others and what obstacles get in the way of trust. We’ll find what environments support our safety, and how to set boundaries in those that don’t. Most importantly, we’ll just practice being our authentic selves. We may include meditation, movement and other practices designed to create clarity, presence and truth. What we do will be guided by what shows up at every session. We will have assignments between sessions to reflect more deeply and practice whatever we worked on together.
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How Sobriety Strategies Can Help Anxious People Reenter Society After The Pandemic
This article on how strategies that work for recovering alcoholics and addicts may help people who are choosing to return to their lives pre-pandemic. The basic recovery principles of accepting what is true right now, creating and sticking to a plan, identifying feelings/emotions, connecting with community and gratitude are the cornerstones of recovery. For my first few yers they were vital to my survival. Today, they are a natural part of my life expressed in ways that are more representative of who I am now.
I encourage you to be patient with yourself and allow space for the more challenging feelings and emotions you may experience like anxiety, distance, overwhelmed, panic, anxiousness, depression and possibly wanting to hide under the covers. For most people, these emotions will be temporary. Let your friends and family know what you are going through if that feels safe. I highly recommend having some fun, plain-old simple fun! Laugh and play as often as you can! Just because you are re-entering society does not mean you have to consume more alcohol/drugs than you know is good for you. Fun is the goal, not another form of numbness or reason to feel isolated. The principles below may be helpful guides for you as you expand your world to your specific needs and wants.
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Arguments About $ Aren’t About Money
Arguments. The first time I meet a new couple that I am working with, I ask them to each share why they are here today. Almost without exception, they each launch into a one-sided description of a recent argument telling it solely from their perspective. In their minds, they are seeking relationship counseling because of an argument or arguments.
I ask a few more questions to get a greater understanding of their current challenges. Most of the time, they continue to refer back to the argument or arguments previously mentioned.
I will follow that up with a question similar to this, "So if I am hearing you correctly, you are here because of an argument or arguments, not due to a lack of trust, connection, respect, communication, commitment, safety, and/or intimacy?".
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... 10 COVID-19 Emotions You’re Not the Only One Having
This is an incredibly helpful and informative article on coping with COVID-19 emotions. The suggestions for identifying what we are experiencing and knowing we are not the only ones going through this challenging period in human history is supportive and inclusive. This is the first time in human history that such a global pandemic has occurred since the internet, news media and social media has been as entrenched in our lives as it is now.
We are experiencing an extremely high level of COVID-19 emotions that we're not present during other global pandemics. The reasons are two very critical situations - we did not know the specifics of what was happening throughout the world as we do now, and there is such a high degree of misinformation creating fear, confusion and distrust that did not exist previously. Anybody can post a blog on COVID-19 without any medical or pandemic knowledge or training, and find an audience of people that will believe them, make decisions based on the misinformation and spread false recommendations that others will share with others. This is harmful to our collective wellbeing on so many levels!
Please be gentle with yourself. You are NOT supposed to be OK. We are all experiencing a wide range of COVID-19 emotions that are loud and at times overwhelming. Please be gentle with yourself, and ask for help if needed.
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... How Breathing Calms Your Brain
It's about time that science has caught up to what many of us have known for a very long time. Breathing calms your brain, heart, whole body, and mind. Scientists are doing amazing research on how breathing affects the vagus nerve. "The vagal nerve, as a proponent of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), is the prime candidate in explaining the effects of contemplative practices on health, mental health, and cognition"(Roderik J. S. Gerritsen and Guido P. H. Band). I trust research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
My primary interest in posting this article is that simply focused breathing can shift our brain rhythm, heart rate, and sense of well-being in general, just a few simple breaths. I encourage many clients to pause and take three full breaths several times a day; when we get out of bed, before work/school/childcare, after work/school/childcare, and before bed. We can stop at any time in any place and take three full breaths to regulate our brain rhythm and heart rate so we can function normally. Breathing calms your brain.
I invite you to try it right now. Below is a basic technique suggested by the University of Michigan Medicine. If the situation does not support the specifics of this method, just take three full breaths to your below and release fully after each breath. Breathing calms your brain.
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"Belly breathing
Belly breathing is easy to do and very relaxing. Try this basic exercise anytime you need to relax or relieve stress.
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Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.
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Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
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Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
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Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out.
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Do this breathing 3 to 10 times. Take your time with each breath.
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Notice how you feel at the end of the exercise."
... Anger A Secondary Emotion – What Are We Protecting?
Many years ago, the psychologist who turned my life around once told me, "Michael, anger is a secondary emotion. You must feel another emotion first before you can experience anger. The primary emotion is typically fear, sometimes sadness or pain." Of course, I became even angrier when she said this! I remember thinking, "Fear, I am not scared of anything. I'm pissed off, not scared!" Her words haunted me. In the following weeks and months, every time I became angry, I often heard her in the back of my head whispering, "Michael, anger is a secondary emotion. You must feel another emotion first before you can experience anger." Notice how the fear part was left out of my process? Eventually, the part about fear also made its way into my process. That is when the shift began for me.
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