You can't plan the unexpected. You can plan your response.
Anxiety can hit you unexpectedly and HARD! Do I have a story for you…
On Sunday, my husband Damon fell at a party while we were up in Connecticut visiting family. After a four-hour wait at the ER, we found out he had dislocated his patella and torn his patella tendon. Surgery was two days later and we headed back down to Florida two days after that so he could get started in PT.
As you can imagine, this whole situation has sent my anxiety through the ROOF!
But, it also reminded me exactly WHY I do what I do. Stressful situations are a perpetual part of our everyday lives. How we RESPOND to those situations is make-or-break for managing our anxiety. Here are some things that I was especially reminded of over the course of this last week…
Recognize Your Stress Response is Kicking In:
When something like this happens, we automatically go into fight or flight. The day it happened, it stayed with me for at least 24 hours. I had trouble sleeping and felt a heightened sense of stress with trouble breathing and an increased heart rate. I was pretty shaken up by it because, well, it was overwhelming! Knowing these are natural responses is so important. At that point, I knew I had to prioritize sleep and I was able to rearrange some of my work schedule to allow for more rest and self-care. This kind of response is HUGE if you want to prevent chronic stress.
Recognize Your Thoughts:
One of the best things you can do is recognize your attitude and perspective on any situation. If you live with high-functioning anxiety, you tend to overthink, overanalyze, and overplan, which comes from a place of deep worry. Be mindful of these thoughts and how those thoughts make you feel in your body. For example, if you’re getting ahead of yourself and lamenting on what is out of your control, your anxiety will compound on itself. Under those conditions, you'll very likely make choices (whether good or bad) out of that anxiety.
Learn to Find Acceptance:
If you’re noticing that you’re feeling frustrated or angry or upset about a situation, ask yourself: am I fighting the reality of this situation? Am I wishing it was different than it actually is? I’ve noticed that in myself over this last week. It was truly so unexpected and was not anyone’s fault. So, I experienced physical tension and other feelings mentioned above. When I leaned into accepting reality for what it is, I notice an immense sense of relief and could make decisions with a clearer mind. Damon had fallen, and that was that. I could wish and wish it hadn't happened, or take a deep breath, allow myself to be disappointed that it did, and lean into this new, unexpected reality.
Lean on Your Support!
One positive thing that I’ve been thinking about is how I’m grateful that this injury happened in CT. Damon and I both have family and support up here in Connecticut, so when this took place, we had so many people around us…helping, supporting, and caring for us and the kids. It’s different in Miami where we have less community, so I know I will need to make an effort to get that support we both will need. In stressful times, it’s essential to seek out support, talk about what’s going on, lean on people that have your back, and ASK for help!
If you need help navigating stressful situations like the one I just shared, let's chat to see if therapy is a good fit for you! In our sessions, you get the attention, support, and guidance you need to conquer your fears, let go of unhealthy patterns, and feel more joy, peace, and fulfillment!