Anxiety is a natural biological feeling that is usually temporary and occurs when feeling worried, tensed or afraid, particularly about unpredictable events in the present and future. Anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that involves consistent excessive and persistent worries that interfere with daily functioning. It is important to note that anxiety disorder can only be diagnosed by medical, health and psychological professionals and should not be used loosely unless formally given as a diagnosis.
Remembering pleasant moments
Individuals, including children and young people experiencing anxiety, can be helped if explicitly taught to engage in pausing and the visualisation technique. Individuals may need prompting at first to pause and engage in the visualisation technique when feeling anxious. The visualisation technique involves using a script, such as thinking of a happy time or place when you were having fun, and trying to remember all the tiny things of that particular memory:
- What were you wearing?
- How did the air smell?
- What could you hear?
- What did you see?
Thinking of good memories makes individuals feel good inside. If consistently done, such practices will wire the brain to release feel-good hormones such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin that make the individuals feel happier.
Using the “calm thinking” technique
A cognitive behavioural therapy technique known as “calm thinking” is also a helpful strategy as it involves cognitive restructuring of thoughts. Individuals (including children and young people) need to know the link between thoughts, bodily sensations, feelings and behaviours; this system can help them analyse their thoughts and solve any concerns.
To use the “calm thinking” approach, individuals should pause and reflect and ask themselves questions such as:
- What am I worried about?
- Why does it worry me?
- What are the chances it will happen?
- What proof do I have that it will happen?
- What else could happen?
- So, what if it happens? What is the worst that can happen?
- Can I be sure it won’t happen?
- How could I handle it if it happened?
Monitoring bodily sensations and when they peak
Often, people who have anxious feelings have experiences of their heart rate increasing and peaking during a threatening moment. Using a sports watch can help monitor and keep track of one’s heart rate and offer an opportunity to detect signs of anxiety. Tracking the changes in heart rate across a day is a good way to identify triggers that may cause anxiety.
Once one knows one’s triggers, one can begin to think about how to eliminate them, if possible, and use techniques such as taking deep breaths and increasing relaxation. For example, children may have an increased peak in their heart rate when at school due to the difficulties coping with the emotional and social demands of schooling compared to when at home.
Using a feelings thermometer
Individuals can use a scaling method such as the “feelings thermometer” to identify early cues and triggers. A feelings thermometer represents the depth of the person’s feelings, and helps to use strategies such as the grounding technique to return to a calm state. It is an effective method to teach children and adults how to pick up emotions in themselves and others, and know when to de-escalate situations.
When using the “feelings thermometer” technique, adults can:
- Ask questions such as how happy, sad or angry you were at different times of the day.
- Allow the young person to choose the appropriate visual representation of an emotion indicated on the timeline and explain why. For example, “Which face do you choose at 10 am”?
Using awareness tools
Mindfulness, meditation and yoga are effective methods that can reduce anxiety, as they encourage individuals to be aware of their bodies. A daily 20-minute session of mindfulness, meditation or yoga can help reduce anxiety.
By Dr Patricia Britto
