Navigating Anxiety in these Uncertain Times

I don't know about you, but I struggle with anxiety. I always have, many of us do, but it's been magnified lately with safer at home order, everything being remote and the strange state the world is in. I'm an EXTREME extrovert, so to say this has been a struggle for me is the understatement of the year.

Over the past 6 weeks, I have been on a roller coaster of emotion. At first it felt novel, maybe even kind of fun! I hosted a virtual beer yoga class, attended virtual happy hours, I had a cute little 'work form home' desk setup! Then my MBA class went virtual, our international trip was cancelled, EVERYTHING went virtual or was cancelled. I started to feel trapped. And then defeated (my employer moved me to part time while others at my company were furloughed), people were DYING (sadness), the economy was DYING (fear). During this time I was interviewing for a new job (anxiety) then I GOT a new job (excitement), BUT I'M SWITCHING JOBS IN A PANDEMIC (Terror) and so on.

There was no time in my 34 years of living where I needed my yoga more. A close friend told me that this was like moving through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) and I couldn't agree more. At this point in time I'm in the acceptance phase and I'm enjoying all of the time that I get to spend with my favorite tiny human (my 7 month old daughter, Tallulah) but it took me time to get there and along the way I was able to pull a few tools out of my tool kit that I'd like to share with you.

1. The Silent Scream (or real scream if you are able to): Believe it or not "scream therapy" is a legit thing. It was recently made popular by the one and only Kanye West, but has been around for quite awhile. (click here to read more about it). When we are anxious, we often feel paralyzed in fear and have a lot of pent up energy that we need to discharge. This is one of the many reasons yoga works so well to make us feel less stressed and more connected. But, when you need to take it to a new level and you can't get to a yoga class, all you need to do is scream. This tactic works just as well if you don't actually scream out loud. Give it a try and notice how amazing it feels to engage your screaming muscles and feel that anxiety start to roll away.

2. Find 3 blue things in the room: Ok admittedly the first time I heard this one I questioned it. Like the silent scream, it's a bit out there. How will hunting around the room you're in right now looking for blue things give you any relief from the shackles of your anxiety? Let me explain. When you are having a full blown panic attack or you are freaking out due to the lack of certainty that exists in your future, or you're about to go on stage and present to a large group of people, all you need to do is look around and find 3 blue things. (If you don't like blue you can choose any other color. I chose blue for it's calming effect.) What this little exercise does for you at it's core is to bring you into the present moment. I love this quote:

"If you are depressed you are living in the past.

If you are anxious you are living in the future.

If you are at peace, you are living in the present"

- Lao Tzu

This exercise brings us to the peace of the present moment by focusing on blue things that are with us right here, right now..

3. Five Senses Meditation: Another exercise that brings you to the present moment is to scan through you five senses. This helps to align to what is here with you right now in this moment. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What do I see right now? Allow yourself to look around the room and mindfully observe.

2. What do I hear right now? Start by the obvious noises that are close to you, but start to expand this to noises in the next room and beyond. How far away can you hear?

3. What do you smell?

4. What do you taste?

5. What do you feel?

Once you've scanned through all five senses, sit with the sensations that you've just experienced and come back to your breath. Watch as the inhales and exhales flow in and out through your nose. Repeat as many times as needed.

These are just a few tactics that I use to help manage my anxiety. How do you work through yours? Leave any of your go to techniques in the comments below.