Anxiety is an alarm that our body sends us to warn us that we are in danger or facing a threat. That is why the physical reactions are so strong and if we do not heed the alarm it will not go off. Our brain wants to protect us and launches all possible warnings to make the message clear: something bad is coming.
Conflict arises when the alarm stays on and there is no longer a threat, or when the alarm goes off without danger. This happens for various reasons, but we can teach you to remember to be useful only when necessary:
1. Turning off the alarm can be difficult at first, so it's good to start just by lowering the volume.
- Paying attention to doing activities that we like and cause well-being.
- Listening to music, sounds of nature or audiobooks that relax us.
- Talking to someone about something new that we want to learn.
2. The alarm can make us feel tired, because a lot of our energy goes into keeping it on.
- Doing physical exercise, dancing, jumping rope, going up and down steps or fixing an area of our house.
- Drink liquids, I suggest a favorite tea or a homemade flavored water.
- Reading a funny book or watching a funny movie can also be energizing.
3. Finding out where the alarm shutdown button is in us, this may be different for everyone.
- Recognize the unlikely of the threat. And if this is real, find out what you can do and do it to protect me.
- Meditating, praying or contemplating landscapes, for some people focusing on spiritual aspects can be useful.
- Practice different strategies for muscle, mental and / or emotional relaxation such as mindfulness , Jacobson's technique, realistic thinking, finding a meaningful sense, etc.
- Learning to manage emotions is an individual commitment that requires social support, anxiety can be a resource that catalyzes our energy to achieve our dreams.
Dr. Dulce Anyra Cota Salazar
Child Psychology
