Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness, apprehension, fear, or worry. In these times of economic uncertainty, job loss, foreclosures, and unprecedented natural disasters, anxiety is widespread.

People are losing sleep imagining worst case scenarios. The lifestyles we have taken for granted are in jeopardy and many people are wondering when “things will return to normal”. When struggling with anxiety, people find it difficult to control their emotions. Feelings take over.

One concept critical to emotional regulation is “mindfulness”. Mindfulness is an intentional awareness of our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and behavioral urges. This awareness helps to sort out the things we are telling ourselves which are promoting heightened emotions and influencing our actions. By learning mindfulness, we are empowered to be in charge of ourselves in a different way. Here is how this works:

John becomes aware that he is thinking: “There is no hope. House prices will continue to fall and soon my house won’t be worth anything” The identified feelings: worry, fear, panic, hopelessness. The actions: sleepless nights, obsessive checking of house prices on Zillow; loss of focus on the job. By becoming aware of this trend, John can challenge the original thoughts. What is actually true right now? What can I do/change and what do I have no control over?

By “unpacking” responses, John can regain some semblance of control over his sleep patterns, and work performance, living life more effectively in the present reality rather than the catastrophes of his imagined future

-Larcy