Anxiety Series (Part 2): Anxiety and the Mind/Body Connection

Fear and anxiety can feel similar in the mind and body. In the mind, there are constant thoughts of anything and everything from to-do lists, the replaying of conversations, harmful self-talk, wondering what if, the judgment of should’ves and could’ves, ruminating over events from the past and obsessing about our fears of the future. These thoughts take us away from the present moment and puts us out of sync with our body.

Because so many thoughts are coming in and out of our mind at any given moment, it can seem like we’re not paying attention, but it’s not for lack of trying. It’s because the anxiety doesn’t allow us to. We’re not capable of it in the moment. This can make us seem forgetful, flaky, absent minded and unreliable.

Don't Miss Our Previously Published Article Anxiety is Not our Enemy

Our body can also hold onto pain from the past and fears of the future. Anxiety can cause muscle contraction, racing heart beat, high blood pressure, labored breathing, sweating or change in body temperature and stomach discomfort. Sometimes it can manifest itself in behavioral ways like biting our nails, picking at our skin, cracking our knuckles, shaking our leg, or tapping our fingers or pen repeatedly on a table.

Of course, there could be other reasons why people do this. It could be from just being nervous or stressed or it could be due to another mental health disorder like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or another anxiety disorder like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or Social Anxiety. There are many possibilities, which is why it’s so important to be properly diagnosed by someone like a psychologist or psychiatrist, who has specialized training in diagnostics. If not diagnosed properly, we could end up being treated for the wrong problem which could make the symptoms worse.

Anxiety can feel like our mind and our body aren’t even connected. Even when we’re able to be rational and logical in our mind, our body can still act as if it has a mind of its own. Our body continues to feel fear even when logically we know there isn't any reason to be fearful. This is why it’s so important to unify the two and practice having a strong mind/body connection.

This means our mind and body is functioning as one with both being aware of each other, listening to one another and reacting congruently. Having a strong mind, body and spirit connection is a great way to manage, decrease and even get rid of symptoms of anxiety. One of the best ways to strengthen that connection is by practicing yoga. In fact, research shows that yoga is one of the best treatments for PTSD. Yoga is even shown to be better than therapy.

Yoga works because it forces us to stay present. If you’ve practiced yoga before then you know that you can’t hold a pose and balance without staying present. It’s just not possible. This reminds us to stay present in our everyday life so that we’re not stressing about the past or worrying about the future.

I also recommend meditation. But sitting in silence, trying to keep thoughts out of our mind can sound laughable with anxiety. So don’t do it. Do it another way. Disregard anything you think you know about meditation. Do it your way, in a way that works for you and will fit into your life. I suggest practicing guided meditation instead at least in the beginning. Guided meditation engages our mind so we’re less likely to wonder. Start with just 3-5 minutes a couple days a week. On days when you have a quieter mind try it in silence. Do what you can. No judgment. Anything is better than nothing. Just like anything else, it gets easier the more we practice.

Both yoga and meditation incorporate deep breathing techniques which we can use by itself anywhere at any time. Breathing exercises can quickly counteract the physical effects of anxiety- labored breathing, racing heart rate, increased blood pressure. Stretching can also counteract the physical symptoms of anxiety including muscle contraction. Combining these exercises with a mantra or affirmations to engage our mind helps redirect the intrusive thoughts. So while doing a breathing technique say something calming to your mind and your body like- We can do this or We are safe. Notice I say “we.” This encourages that the mind, body and spirit are one. We are a team, in which together, we can fight the outside world if we choose but we won’t be turning against each other.

Coping Skills

Our coping skills need to work for us to truly be effective so figure out your own way of doing things if needed.

Breathing Technique: Go ahead and start to breathe… deeply and slowly. Breathe in through your nose and out through the mouth as if you're blowing the air out through a straw. Close your eyes if you wish and slow the breath down even more. On your next inhale, fill your lungs with as much air as you can. Hold your breath for a count of 4 and, as slowly as you can, exhale it out and allow all your muscles to relax your body into the breath. And breathe normally. When you’re ready, do that 2 more times on your own.
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Emotional Regulation Talk with Guided Exercises
Manage Emotions with Better Coping Skills with Guided Exercises