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Best 3 Tips on Worry, Anxiety and Turning Down the Stress Response - Anxiety Workshop w Nick Wignall

Therapy in a Nutshell・68 minutes read

Anxiety is a combination of stress and worry, motivating action but can become overwhelming if not managed properly, with approaches including cognitive and body-based methods. Scheduled worry helps reduce chronic worry and anxiety levels by setting aside specific time daily to list worries without solving them, transforming worry and anxiety levels when consistently practiced.

Insights

Anxiety is a complex emotion consisting of stress and worry, with stress being the physical response and worry the cognitive aspect, highlighting the importance of managing both components effectively to prevent overwhelming feelings.
Scheduled worry, where a specific time is allocated daily to list worries without solving them, can significantly reduce chronic worry and anxiety levels, offering a structured approach to address and control worrying behaviors for improved mental well-being.

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Summary

00:00

Managing Anxiety Through Body and Mind

Anxiety can be bossy and controlling, leading to stress, worry, and physical responses.
Stress is the body's physiological reaction to perceived danger, activating fight/flight/freeze responses.
Worry is the cognitive aspect of anxiety, involving thoughts and imagination of potential dangers.
Anxiety is a combination of stress and worry, with stress being the physical response and worry the cognitive aspect.
Anxiety is an emotion that motivates action, but can become overwhelming if not managed properly.
Two approaches to addressing anxiety are cognitive (top-down) and body-based (bottom-up).
Body-based approaches involve calming the body to send calming signals to the brain.
Techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and vagus nerve stimulation can help regulate the nervous system.
Yawning can trigger the vagus nerve, sending calming messages to the brain.
Accepting worries and controlling worrying involves distinguishing between unintended worries and controllable thoughts.

11:41

"Controlling worry reduces anxiety levels effectively"

Initial worry arises during a meeting at work when considering sharing an idea with the group.
The distinction between a worry and worrying is crucial; worrying is controllable, while a worry is not.
Elaborating on worries adds anxiety to one's system, emphasizing the importance of controlling worrying.
Distinguishing between a worry and worrying is essential to avoid wasting energy on uncontrollable worries.
Understanding worry better can significantly reduce anxiety levels, as demonstrated by a personal experience.
Anxiety often stems from discomfort with worry and physical sensations, leading to avoidance of anxiety-inducing situations.
Chronic avoidance of anxiety triggers can exacerbate anxiety levels, emphasizing the need to confront fears.
Chronic anxiety can result from habitual avoidance behaviors, such as turning to distractions when feeling anxious.
Scheduled worry, a technique involving purposefully setting aside time for worrying daily, can effectively reduce chronic worry and anxiety.
Analogizing scheduled worry to housebreaking a puppy, focusing on teaching the mind where and when to worry to prevent excessive worry.

22:41

"Transform Anxiety with Scheduled Worry Practice"

Scheduled worry involves setting aside a specific 10-minute period daily to list all worries on paper.
Choose a time for scheduled worry, like early evening, to avoid doing it right before bed.
Use a timer, paper, and pen to write down all worries, big or small, without solving them.
Deliberately giving attention to worries during scheduled worry helps lower overall anxiety levels.
Scheduled worry is a powerful practice that transforms worry and anxiety levels when consistently done.
Setting boundaries and assertiveness with worry can help manage anxiety effectively.
Anxiety serves a function by sending messages that need to be addressed, not ignored.
Anxiety can be a signal to make changes in one's environment or lifestyle to reduce stress.
Changing the relationship with anxiety, rather than trying to eliminate it, is crucial for managing anxiety effectively.
Mindfulness, when done as an exercise to build strength, is more beneficial than using it as a coping strategy to avoid anxiety.

33:42

Building Mindfulness Skills to Reduce Anxiety

Practice mindfulness regularly, not just when feeling anxious, to build skills and reduce anxiety.
Accept anxiety instead of trying to cope with it, as it teaches the brain it's okay to feel anxious.
Implement techniques and tools as exercises to build strength and skills, not to eliminate anxiety.
Breathing exercises work best in conjunction with willingness, a principle of mindfulness.
Reframe anxiety as excitement to change the perception of the feeling.
Exercise can help manage physical symptoms of anxiety, but willingness to accept sensations is crucial.
Use a growth mindset to explore options and try different approaches when dealing with mental health.
When supporting someone with mental health issues, focus on connecting, setting boundaries, and understanding what is within your control.
Use the locus of control exercise to clarify what you can control, influence, and what is out of your control in a situation.
Prioritize listening, empathy, and providing resources over nagging or coercing someone with mental health challenges.

44:38

Managing Anxiety: Scheduling Worry Time for Relief

Morning anxiety can be addressed by scheduling worry time either in the morning or later in the day.
Experimentation is crucial to finding what works best for individual anxiety management.
Trying both morning and evening worry time for a week each can help determine the most effective approach.
Physical relaxation techniques can become coping mechanisms if used incorrectly.
Acceptance as a treatment for anxiety can be foundational before utilizing body-based grounding skills.
Acknowledging and validating anxiety before coping strategies can be effective in managing anxiety bursts.
Sustainable solutions are favored over coping skills for long-term anxiety resolution.
Coping skills can be useful in short-term crises but are not a long-term solution for anxiety.
Scheduling worry time can be effective for individuals with obsessive thinking or intrusive worries.
The mental aspect of chronic pain can benefit from a similar approach to anxiety management, focusing on acceptance and soothing techniques.

55:23

Managing Stress and Trauma in Therapy

Chronic stress response is harmful, while short-term stress response is healthy.
Chronic excitement can wear down the heart and cause health issues similar to anxiety.
Consider therapists practicing EMDR or somatic experiencing for trauma treatment.
Focus on regulating the nervous system response before addressing trauma memories.
Stay within the "window of tolerance" during trauma therapy to work through emotions effectively.
Minimize re-traumatization by limiting the duration or intensity of trauma discussions.
Incorporate calming resources like weighted blankets and tea to address anxiety during therapy.
Accepting anxiety while working through trauma can be beneficial in therapy.
Break down tasks into smaller, manageable pieces to support executive function and decision-making.
Practice willingness to experience milder emotions before tackling more intense feelings for emotional growth.

01:06:27

Benefits of Mindfulness for Anxiety and Public Speaking

Mindfulness can be used for various purposes, such as spiritual practice, relaxation, happiness, and inner peace.
When utilizing mindfulness to reduce anxiety, it should be approached as an exercise rather than a coping skill.
Social anxiety often manifests in physical symptoms like blushing, but experts emphasize the importance of not struggling against these symptoms.
Expert public speakers do not experience less physical arousal than novices; their confidence stems from their positive relationship with their physical arousal.

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