Anxiety
Stress, Anxiety, Panic…
RELAX
Outline
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1. What is anxiety
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2. How to deal with anxiety
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To deal with it you need to know what it is
Systematic Relaxation
3. Preventing Anxiety
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What to do before you leave
Anxiety
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Anxiety-natural reaction to possible
danger or threat
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Anxiety keeps you alive
Physiological changes that prepare you for
flight or fight
Anxiety
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-our 4 brains
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-lizard
-dog
-primate
-thinking
-anxiety happens at the lizard and dog levelwe have to use the thinking level to control
Anxiety
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-body CAN NOT differentiate
emotional/physical/minor/major threat
-symptoms are related to preparation for fight or flight
-increased heart rate
-increased breathing rate
-sweating
-digestion shuts down so “butterflies”, nausea
-emotional tension, desire to avoid situation
-panic-desperate urge to run away or fight-may feel like
you are having a heart attack
“Threats” that trigger anxiety
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Confusion-I don’t understand what is
going on, maybe it is
dangerous=Anxiety
Unfamiliarity-I don’t know what this is,
maybe it is dangerous= Anxiety
“Threats” that trigger anxiety
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Ambiguity-What is happening, why
are they doing this, is it good or
bad=Anxiety
Isolation-I am away from my group, I
am alone; if something happens there is
no one to help me- Anxiety
“Threats” that trigger anxiety
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The Unknown-I don’t know what is
going to happen, it could be
bad=Anxiety
Exchange = Anxiety
The experience of exchange has all the
components to trigger anxiety attacks
Unfamiliar language, faces, food
Isolation from family and friends
Confusion because you don’t know
customs or culture
Conclusion!!
You WILL
experience
anxiety
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What is happening when you
are anxious
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-your body is preparing to “defend” you
against the threat
-your body is reacting automatically and
you need to have your thinking brain
“kick in”
What is happening when you
are anxious
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-you have to counter the physical
manifestations to convince your
“automatic brain” you are safe
-can physically trigger anxiety emotions
by triggering the physical symptoms
Strategies for reducing anxiety
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1.
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5.
6.
7.
Systematic Relaxation
Eat
Sit or lie down
Smile or laugh
Do a pleasurable activity
Re-interpret
Ask questions
Dealing with Anxiety
Systematic Relaxation
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practice BEFORE you leave
do before bed when you are there
physical relaxation and anxiety are
incompatible-you don’t relax when
about to be eaten by a tiger
Dealing with Anxiety
Systematic Relaxation
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when you feel anxiety, use the whole
SR process or use your trigger word
do this before the next steps and if
necessary
Dealing with Anxiety
Eat
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you don’t stop to eat when about to be
eaten by a tiger-eating is a signal to
your body that you are NOT in danger
Dealing with Anxiety
Eat
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because anxiety shuts down digestion
(you need that energy to run or fight),
your mouth will be dry so choose a
moist snack (fruit, yoghurt, something
with water)
As you eat, you are sending the lower
brain a message that it is safe enough
to stop and eat, so the danger is not
significant
Dealing with Anxiety
Sit or Lie Down
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when anxious, we tend to move or
pace-our body has the urge to run or
fight
When we pace, it may feel like a
reduction in the sensations, but your
body reads that you are up and moving
to evade the trigger which reinforces
anxiety
Dealing with Anxiety
Sit or Lie Down
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sitting gives message that there is no
danger to escape
Dealing with Anxiety
Smile or Laugh
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we don’t start smiling at a person who
is threatening us
Feeling happy or enjoying oneself
doesn’t happen when we are in danger
Smiling is a message to the brain that
you have misinterpreted the situation
Dealing with Anxiety
Do a pleasurable activity
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In threat situations we don’t engage in
fun. Having fun can counter anxiety.
Dealing with Anxiety
Re-interpret
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Use positive descriptors (i.e. this food
tastes really good, the sari’s are
beautiful) about the things that are
unfamiliar, confusing or unknown
Label emotions differently-the
sensations of fear and excitement are
very similar. So “I am excited about
what is happening” vs “I am nervous”
Dealing with Anxiety
Ask questions
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why do you do that, what does this
mean, how do I do this-reduce the
confusion by getting information!
Assume that Rotarians want you to
succeed and that there are NO stupid
questions
Preventing Anxiety:
Before You Go…
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Practice systematic relaxation
-you need to be able to
automatically trigger the relaxation and
have a cue to trigger the relaxation.
Preventing Anxiety:
Before You Go…
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Find a simple activity that helps you
relax-listening to music, play solitaire,
small needlepoint or craft. Whatever
works for you. Pack this to go with you
in you stress kit
Preventing Anxiety:
Before You Go…
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. Pack a few of your favourite treats in
your stress kit. Treats make us feel
good.
Preventing Anxiety:
Before You Go…
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Pack your favourite small memento.
DON”T make the memento pictures of
friends as that can trigger feelings of
isolation which can trigger anxiety.
Have photos of yourself in activities that
are important to you. This keeps you
linked to your sense of self when
everything is in transition.
Preventing Anxiety:
When You Arrive…
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Call home and let them know you have
arrived safely-this reminds your brain
that you can contact your support
network and that you are not isolated.
BUT make it short and don’t make
repeated calls as that will interfere with
adjustment. All you need is to hear the
voice to cue your brain you aren’t
isolated.
Preventing Anxiety:
When You Arrive…
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Put your memento and photos where
you can see them.
Do systematic relaxation so that one of
your early experiences in your host
home is one of relaxation.
Preventing Anxiety:
When You Arrive…
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Go to bed early-do not think you are
insulting your host family.
Start eating on the schedule they do
immediately so you can adapt and that
you don’t trigger anxiety because you
are hungry
Preventing Anxiety:
Ongoing Strategies…
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Sleep regularly
Preventing Anxiety:
Ongoing Strategies…
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Eat regularly-food may be unfamiliar
but hunger can trigger anxiety
Engage in your relaxation activity-play
music, knit, paint
Exercise-be physically active
Monitor caffeine and alcohol intake,
both can increase anxiety
Preventing Anxiety:
Ongoing Strategies…
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Read some English books-reminders of
your language decreases the feeling like
you don’t understand “anything”.
Watch shows from home in the
language of your host country if
possible. When there is something
familiar, you relax. As well, this can
help with the headaches from the early
constant translation process
Preventing Anxiety:
Ongoing Strategies…
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Welcome anxiety-new things will make you
anxious, but the more things you do and try
with nothing bad happening, the less the new
makes you anxious. Use positive self
statements when you are anxious-“this will
turn out fine, I am going to have fun, I can
hardly wait to find out what this will be like”.
Anxiety and anticipation are close in
sensation and you can convert them by what
you think!
Conclusion!
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Make Friends
Enjoy
Try everything
Have fun
Make Memories