If you’ve ever been chased by a violent dog, you may still remember panting and panicking, your heart pounding as you ran hard, your body hot and sweaty. Hmm. Then it was perfectly natural for your body to go into “fight or flight mode” and be very anxious about escaping wild dogs.
But if, on another day, you see the same level of signs of anxiety when the dog or other danger isn’t in the picture, it’s time to tame that feeling.Last year, 30-year-old Anmol Kaur, fashion designer from Ludhiana, infected with COVID-19. Although she has recovered from it, she continues to suspect that she contracted the virus when she went shopping at the local grocery store. “If I go to that grocery store again, I’m sure I’ll get infected again,” she claims.
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back to the present
Anxiety is no stranger to most of us, whether it’s past events, job interviews, new job responsibilities, public speaking, performance reviews, or what’s ahead.
Vandana S, Counselor and Psychologist at Mental Health Startup Psychoflakes in Bengaluru, says anxiety can take an individual into the past or into the future. A person’s thinking is affected when memories of fear or trauma come back, and the person loses sight of the present.
“when [such] Because people are in the present moment, they become more rational and logical and able to decide what they want to do,” she added. Therefore, it is sometimes important for the intimate partner or therapist to bring the person’s mind back to the present moment by grounding their thought processes. Only then can psychotherapy be applied and effective. can be targeted.
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According to Ayurveda professor Kishore Kumar R., Ph.D., Department of Integrative Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, anxiety stirs up feelings of deprivation and fills the mind with irrational thoughts.
He said, “There is a lot of good in ourselves, and positive thinking helps us regain those positive emotions. It’s important to take your time.”
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understand thinking
Vandana S says that before applying psychotherapy such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT, first relax the person and bring their thought processes back to the present.
This is called a grounding technique and can be done using Sense organs – eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin. Grounding Techniques are tools that you can use to break unhealthy thought patterns, anytime, anywhere, without anyone’s help, whenever your mind is stuck with worry. It is also effective in calming anxious people and their overwhelming thoughts.
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A 2020 study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress Disorders cites grounding techniques as a simple yet effective way to regain control of your mind. But the research also highlights that this technology isn’t the magic that can make us who we are. The problem disappears or distracts the hyperactive mind. It helps ground the mind and train it in the present.
5 steps to regain your composure
It’s a countdown to getting rid of anxiety. Mentally say 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 as you try.
- 5 things look: Observe and note what you see. It could be a clock on the wall, a pen in hand, a plant on the desk next to you, a point on the ceiling, or a passing cloud.
- four thing touch and feel: Be aware of what you can physically touch with your hands, feet, or body. It could be the ground you are standing on. The rise and fall of the chest associated with breathing. The flick of your hair, the bench or chair you’re sitting on, the cell phone or computer you’re working on. A purse, or a friend’s hand next to you for support.
- three thing listen: Be aware of the sounds around you and within you. Clocks ticking, cars driving outside the street, refrigerators constantly humming, breathing, keyboards clicking, air conditioners and printers buzzing, birds chirping, leaves crackling.
- two things to sniff: If you can’t catch the scent automatically, walk around until you smell it. Nature walks in search of the scent of flowers and grass. Favorite soaps, coffee, wood, pencils, newspapers or books. Remove the cap from the perfume bottle and smell it. Simply put, it smells the things around it.
- one thing taste: What does it taste like in your mouth? Asking yourself this will bring back the taste of the last food you ate. But you can also feel the taste of fresh gum or coffee, go outside, breathe in the fresh air, and think about what it tastes like.
Experts also suggest leaving the exercise with one positive thought about yourself. They say – enjoy successes big and small. Stay positive and spread the positivity. Let family and friends know how you try to ground yourself. their Anxiety for you. And let us know how the exercise worked for you.
Last updated Jan 3, 2023 at 12:38 PM IST
