Anxiety. Everyday problems. Psychologist Online

Anxiety has firmly entered the daily life of  people as it accompanies a series of changes that have occured in the current circumstances due to crises or situations of risk in which everyone is called upon to cope with the mental resources they possess.

In other words, anxiety appears in a person when they feel that the responsibilities and roles they are daily required to fulfill demand more mental strength than those they have or beleive they have. The manifestation of stress is not something that  necessarily shows outwardly. Thus,  a person may seem extremely calm and stable in their emotional state and cope with daily issues with composure just because they have learnt how to carry them inside.

Anxiety. Categories

If we tried to categorize the type of stress that a person can experience in everyday life, we would distinguish two major categories, creative stress and pathological stress.

Creative stress often takes the form of an emotional tension that we feel when we are about to overcome a difficult situation or carry out an activity that is of great importance to us. In this case it acts as a driving force.

Additionally, creative stress can be useful in our lives because it keeps us alert and pushes us to try new things, set new goals and work creatively in our daily lives, which results in mental well-being.

Pathological anxiety is usually experienced when we are in anticipation of some imminent danger, but which we may have exaggerated in our minds without actually being that serious or threatening to us. We may experience a generalized sense of danger or threat without being able to identify its source, but it prevents us from trying new things and being functional in our lives.

Psychotherapy can help the person identify the sources of his anxiety and then discover their mental boundaries so that they do not violate them by creating a crisis and blocking himself. Also to be ready so that when they need to change his goals without feeling bad about it. This is similar to the movement of the runner who needs to take a step back in order to get more speed to go forward.

Relief from stress

The process of freeing oneself from pathological anxiety can be achieved through the following steps:

STEP ONE

I clarify within myself whether I really want to manage this situation in order to change it. As we say in psychotherapy, I formulate my personal request for change which will motivate me to take the necessary steps towards this change.

As paradoxical as it may sound, people often come to terms with the anxiety they experience daily and do not wish to do anything about it, or they settle for taking some releiving medications to alleviate the physical symptoms it may cause them.

STEP TWO

I observe myself every day and try to distinguish the physical symptoms that it may create for me, such as rapid breathing or rapid heartbeat, nail-biting, etc. I also observe my behavior towards others if, for example, whether i express myself with irritation or anger.

STEP THREE

I try to identify the condition that causes me this condition, which usually precedes and can serve as a warning signal for the anxiety that will follow.

STEP FOUR

With the help of an expert, I am training in the proper management of the situation with the aim of being able to anticipate its appearance. At the same time I am enhancing my level of self-awareness to understand its deeper sources of origin possibly digging into my deepest fears.

There is a wide variety of behavioral techniques that can be applied in any case and always in collaboration with the client, which may lead to an excellent outcome.