I often times like to describe one’s Anxiety like a thermometer. Imagining at the very bottom of the thermometer you’re feeling good or “normal”, with typical day to day functioning. The very top of the thermometer would be your most anxious moment. This would typically be a moment of a panic or anxiety attack, or right before one. Can you think of what the top of your thermometer looks like? Does it ever feel like it goes from that 0 to 10 in what feels like the snap of your fingers? So often anxiety can feel as though it came out of no where and then took over your thoughts, body and emotions.
What I like to do with clients is figure out what your 2-9 looks like on your thermometer. When we really sit with anxiety and start to talk and process through it, we find that there are in reality a plethora of warning signs. Anxiety tends to manifest in three main areas: physical symptoms, emotions and thoughts.
These physical symptoms tend to be the body’s first line of defense. Some examples of physical symptoms for anxiety are: temperature changes, heart racing, pacing, tightness of chest, fidgeting, skin picking, leg shaking, headaches, stomachaches and rapid breaths (to just name a few). This is when our body is starting to signal some alarms that something is happening. Thoughts can be rapid, coming and going, certain types of thinking patterns, intrusive thoughts and negative thoughts. The emotions are often like an ice burg, where anxiety is just the tip of the ice burg and underneath the surface are so many more emotions. Do you ever experience any of these warning signs?
We tend to not notice these warning signs and our thermometer because we are not aware of them yet and they happen, what seems to be so naturally, at a certain point. I aim to help clients find what their thermometer looks like because anxiety effects everyone in different ways. Once we are able to find what your thermometer looks like, we are able to match the appropriate coping kills to each level. Anxiety is something that can be manageable through awareness, acceptance and then action. The thermometer is one step and tool that I use to help clients explore and cope with their anxiety.
Feel free to message me at brianna@renew-counseling.org or my number 407-479-8813 if you have any questions about mental health, counseling in general or would like to set up a session.
Crisis Line:
NAMI’s National Information Helpline (800) 950-NAMI
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800)-273-TALK