ANXIETY
7 Tools Everyone Needs to Cope with their Newsfeed
With the instant access we have to various platforms with vast amounts of content, we are constantly being inundated with overwhelming and disconcerting news around the world. There is no doubt that even if we are not directly connected by the incident, we are affected.
With social media we are all put in a direct line to the news of our friends and family, as well as those of people all around the world. We are then forced to identify with other peoples’ trauma, anxiety, and hardships.
This news is all around us and can often leave us feeling helpless, panicked, anxious, even depressed. It may seem like the good does not outweigh the bad.
So what can we do?
Stress and anxiety can severely affect your quality of life. Phone Therapy can help.
Avoid social media for news
Avoid getting your news from sites like Twitter or Facebook, as they can cause greater anxiety and not have all the facts. Instead of getting your news from social media, go to the direct sources for the news instead.
Let yourself feel all the feels
It is important that when we are feeling uncomfortable, anxious, or overwhelmed that we pay close attention to what we are doing in that moment.
Avoid ignoring these negative emotions and address them directly. Identify the emotions you are feeling, without judgment, and let yourself feel them.
Reach out
Connect with those you trust and share what is bothering you. This can be in the form of a friend, a family member, or a therapy professional.
At this point you may want to build walls to keep people out and to hide how you are feeling. Look at this time as a time to build bridges instead.
Stress and anxiety can severely affect your quality of life. Phone Therapy can help.
Breathe
Take a time-out from all activities and just breathe. Go to a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted, take a seat, and close your eyes.
Then with every in breathe count 1…2…3…hold…then exhale and count to 1…2…3. Do this until you feel more relaxed and your head feels more clear.
Journal
There are many ways that you can let out your emotions and get some relief. Journaling can help increase awareness and insight into how we are feeling to promote growth.
Journaling can be an extremely powerful tool to better understanding and healing. Even a quick 1-minute or 3-minute journal to write what is making you anxious can be very helpful.
Exercise
When you are active, even just walking, endorphins are released which can decrease pain and increase feelings of euphoria.
Not only that but being active can to divert your focus away from what is causing you to feel anxious. By lifting weights or taking a walk outside, you are forced to focus on what you are doing and what is going on around you.
Engaging in a routine physical regime can help to increase confidence and help you to feel more in control.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on solutions to treat issues and increase happiness by modifying negative emotions, behaviors, and thoughts. The focus is on changing our patterns of behavior to those that are positive and less destructive.
CBT has been found to provide significant improvement in issues such as “depressive disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety, specific phobia, OCD, dysthymia, substance abuse, ADHD, eating disorders, marital distress, and other significant problems.”
Stress and anxiety can severely affect your quality of life. Phone Therapy can help.
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/cognitive-behavioral-therapy
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/anxiety-files/201111/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-proven-effectiveness