Anxiety

When I first learned about anxiety in my 20s, I remember being devastated to find out that there is no cure, that not only was this a feeling we all had to live with, but a healthy amount of anxiety actually helps us survive and thrive. Anxiety is a biological response that keeps us alive. It’s a good thing. Or at least it can be. 

Unfortunately, the way our society is, we’re constantly hurtling into the future, ever diverging our connection with our bodies in favor of a connection with our conscious, thinking brain. 

With anxiety, we know we need it to alert us to dangerous situations, but we also need to learn to have a healthy relationship with it.

Which brings me to this week. Every now and then, I experience what’s called a globus sensation. This is when my throat feels like it has a huge lump in it, and I have a difficult and sometimes painful experience when I swallow. In reality, there’s nothing in my throat at all. It’s physiologically normal. This imaginary throat lump is triggered by my anxiety. There is nothing physically wrong with me. And it presents itself during times of high stress.

The globus sensation was what drove me to learn more about anxiety in the first place. I had a stressful job with a manager who was overtly and actively trying to get me fired. Every submission was a triggering event. I’d heard of anxiety, but I didn’t know anything about it. While reading NBA coach Phil Jackson’s book “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success,” I started to peel back the layers of how truly tightly wound I was. 

It inspired me to read the life changing book “Zen mind, Beginner mind,” I joined a local yoga studio, and all of this helped lead me down the most meaningful path of my life. And I’m happy to report that after two months of non-stop globus sensation, each day I experienced more and more times during the day when I was able to swallow without pain.

In a weird way, I’m glad that my body gives me a physical sign that I’m very anxious and stressed, otherwise I might never slow down and reconnect with what’s really going on. Understanding and establishing your personal healthy level of anxiety is so important to your overall well being. 

Take some time today to stop and listen to your body. What is it telling you? Are your shoulders tense? Are you thirsty? Are you hungry? Are you at peace, and if so, what activities brought you to that peaceful place? It’s amazing what our bodies will tell us if we’ll be still, quiet, and listen. 

Anxiety is something that’s important to me, so at the risk of this being a longer post, I’ll share one other method that I’ve found super helpful in my own life: make friends with your anxiety. When you are meditating, or just zoning out (on a walk, in the shower, in bed, wherever) and your anxiety pops up, acknowledge it. Don’t try to push it away. Simply say to yourself, “Hello Anxiety, here’s your seat at the table.” And just let it be. 

As with almost anything in life, the more we actively resist something, the heavier it feels. Think of a wall. If you casually lean up against it, it just feels like a nice place to rest. But if you turn towards the wall and try to push it away (aka resistance) then it’s going to feel immovable. And I get it, sometimes life is just very heavy and stressful and you can feel out of control. So try to control yourself as much as you can by accepting what is and letting go of the rest. 

The more we can learn to accept things as they are, to “make friends” with the circumstances no matter what they might be, the better off we’ll be in both the long and short run. 

This week’s 1% Better challenge is the next time you’re experiencing anxiety, pause for a moment. Acknowledge and accept that anxiety is present, then invite it to the table. Or if you're able to, simply acknowledge it and let it go. See how that makes you feel. 

With gratitude, 

Natalie

NOTE: I’m not a doctor and this isn’t a substitution for medical advice. If you feel like you need to talk to a doctor or psychologist, please do so.