Slow is the Way to Go

When we are feeling anxious, our body experiences an automatic stress reaction that includes things like an increase in heart rate and an adrenaline surge.  Our breathing quickens and becomes a lot shallower.  These changes send a message back to the brain that say something along the lines of “DANGER! DANGER!  GOING TO DIE!”  Now, realistically- when this happens you are not actually going to die.  But your brain and body are responding in the same manner as if a saber-toothed tiger were on your tail.

Being able to recognize an anxiety reaction as a set of physiological changes that occur from head to toe as your body prepares to fight/flight/freeze your way out of a fear-inducing situation is really important.  Being aware of this allows you to be able to implement coping strategies effectively and efficiently.  Anxiety is an energy increasing emotion.  When calming this reaction, our goal is to decrease our energy.  So, slow is the way to go.

Slowing down the body and the mind helps us to send messages to the survival center of the brain that says “it’s okay; we are safe.”  This then reverses the initial automatic stress reactions.  Our breathing slows, our heartrate decreases, our body may shake a bit as the adrenaline works its way out of our system.  To help this process happen, using coping skills and strategies that have a slow speed can be really helpful.  By focusing on slowing down, you will naturally help your breath to deepen, which helps us to slow down and calm down even more.  This is one of the reasons counselors make such a big deal out of using breathing as coping skill.

Often when in an anxious state, we feel the urge to move.  By listening to this urge, but responding in a calm manner moving slowly and intentionally, especially when our movements have a rhythm to them, we are able to move in a way that is helpful instead of one that serves to increase the anxiety.  Try rocking side to side, or walking around a space at a slow pace.  You can also go for a mindful walk in which you tune into your surroundings and really notice them, or pay attention to the physical act of walking and notice how your body feels while moving.

In tuning in to our body and getting out of our heads, we can help to shift our thinking away from the loops of thoughts sending us down the anxiety rabbit hole.  This slows our brains down.  In slowing our brains and our bodies down, our energy decreases and the stress reaction dissipates.  We return to a state of calm that allows us to be able to learn, think, focus on tasks, and feel safe.