Did you know you can short-circuit your anxious thoughts? You can, and I'll tell you how.

Treating anxiety and suicidality may not be something you think about, but anxiety is a heterogeneous disorder, encompassing a wide array of symptoms and consequently requiring distinct treatments. Although people often think of depression being involved in suicide, fewer realize that different types of anxiety contribute to suicide as well. Social anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and distress intolerance are associated with suicidal thoughts in adolescents. Panic disorder also increases the risk of suicide and is associated with higher levels of impulsivity, depression, and hopelessness. Higher suicide risk has also been demonstrated in individuals with OCD.  

You can cultivate a positive outlook without also creating expectations that cause anxiety. Have you ever felt so worried about something that you couldn't focus on your family, friends, or work? For me, the answer is certainly yes -- especially when I'm thinking about something I really want to happen. I've found myself thinking a lot about expectations, specifically how my expectations increase my anxiety and make it harder for me to focus on the present. For graduate school, I have a lot of expectations for myself, involving grades, developing research, and cultivating relationships. And although in some ways it is beneficial to have expectations, ultimately, they engender a narrow perspective that ignores a host of positive outcomes. 

One aspect of anxiety that can be challenging is the physical sensations of anxiety. Anxiety is frequently accompanied by the unpleasant side effects of anxiety in your body that can include rapid heart rate, feeling short of breath, having discomfort in your stomach, or even feeling dizzy or foggy. These sensations can make it difficult to work through your anxious thoughts, and can actually exacerbate your initial anxiety. Additionally, if you experience the same physical sensations of anxiety often enough, you can reach a point where those physical sensations induce anxiety on their own, creating a feedback loop that can be very difficult to disrupt. One tool that I've found helpful for working through physical sensations of anxiety is meditation.

Anticipatory anxiety occurs when you experience anxiety while thinking about an event in the future and it can be a very difficult form of anxiety to challenge. Since I started graduate school, a number of deadlines and events have popped up that require significant planning and time management. Thinking about all of these can be challenging and makes it hard to focus on the present and feel positive about what I've accomplished so far. This form of anxiety can occur for a variety of situations, whether you're trying to achieve a goal, facing a frightening event, or worrying about something you don't want to happen. Engaging with anticipatory anxiety can also make you feel like you have no control over your life -- when you focus on things you haven't done yet, it's easy to lose sight of what you have been able to do already. Consequently, the challenge of anticipatory anxiety is shifting focus from the events you're concerned about to the actions you can take in the present to achieve your goals. Here are some steps I use to take control of my anticipatory anxiety and stay engaged in the present.

When it comes to self-care and treating anxiety, we need to know when it’s time to let go and say goodbye to certain obligations. If we don’t learn to let go of some things, we can spread ourselves thin and run ourselves into the ground. While it is bittersweet to announce my departure from HealthyPlace, I know letting go is vital to my mental health in order to prioritize and reduce some of my own anxiety.

If you’ve ever wondered about the cause of your morning anxiety, you’re definitely not alone. I had only guessed at the reasons I feel anxious when I get up in the wee hours of the morning. But recently, someone asked me for insight into why she feels anxious in the morning going to her workouts. I did a little digging and I want to share some factors that may cause morning anxiety.

What is anticipatory anxiety? If you’re struggling with anxiety over the anticipation of an upcoming situation, you’re experiencing anticipatory anxiety and you're not alone. Most of us face anxiety about future events at some point or another. Sometimes it’s mild and other times it may feel downright debilitating. I’ll share with you some key steps I take to cope with anticipatory anxiety.

Sensory overload anxiety can be a real problem for highly sensitive people (HSP). While not all highly sensitive people face intense anxiety, it’s common for highly sensitive people to experience sensory overload anxiety from common, everyday occurrences. But with the right anxiety coping skills, we can better prepare and cope with the challenges of living as a highly sensitive person with anxiety.