Without all of the things that help connect us to our routine, we may start to feel a little disoriented, disconnected, and maybe a little anxious for no specific reason. It may even feel like we’re moving in slow motion and lack the motivation to get things done. Since almost everything in our lives has changed, it can be expected that we may have trouble adjusting to our new normal.

Our feelings might be labeled as anxiety, which occurs when we perceive what we are facing as being potentially harmful. These feelings are related to our “fight or flight” response which alerts the brain that we need to be prepared to respond to a threat.

The “fight or flight” response comes from the earliest days of humanity when it was necessary for our survival. For example, when we perceive a predator approaching we need to be able to rally the physiological resources necessary to not be eaten. This physiological response may include increased heart rate, sweating, and heightened awareness to surroundings. This danger causes a rush of adrenalin, a hormone which serves as a messenger to the brain to trigger the necessary actions needed to physically confront or flee potential threats.

Today, it’s less likely that we’ll need to flee from an animal or other form of imminent danger. Instead, our anxiety may now be triggered by work, money, life, health, or other daily issues. And, in today’s crisis environment, we may be triggered simultaneously from multiple directions. It’s no wonder that we may feel edgy, irritable, and generally out of sorts. We may have difficulty in concentrating and feel a little foggy. Some of this may be due to disrupted sleep patterns caused by not maintaining a regular routine and/or having trouble falling or staying asleep.

One of the most effective ways to address feelings of anxiety is to develop simple practices that you can use any time. What’s needed when you are feeling anxious is to engage in what are often referred to as “grounding” practices. These practices provide you with the opportunity to bring your attention to the present and disrupt the chain of responses associated with “fight or flight”. Sometimes all we need is a quick check-in with the present to help us realize that we are not about to be eaten by a lion. :)

SIMPLE “GROUNDING” EXERCISE

Here’s one of my favorite exercises. You can use this simple practice in almost any situation. It might be right after you hear some bad news or when you can’t stop thinking about something. Many people find that this is a great practice for falling asleep or when they wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep.

This exercise involves simply rotating through your five senses. It doesn’t really matter where you start or end. What sense you start with may depend on your environment and what catches your attention. To get started, all you need to do is to focus your attention on:

FIVE things you can SEE.
FOUR things you can TOUCH.
THREE things you can HEAR.
TWO things you can SMELL.
ONE thing you can TASTE.

Depending on the situation, you may find that you’re calm and relaxed before you rotate through all five of your senses. If so, you may want to tune into your breath to make sure that you are breathing normally and that your heart rate is slowing. However, in some situations, you may need to rotate through all five senses a few times before you feel some relief.

4-7-8 BREATHING IS ALSO HELPFUL

Also, to help you build your arsenal of tools to navigate these uncertain times, we have attached an audio of another favorite exercise of mine, “4-7-8 Breathing”.

Please keep in mind, what you are experiencing is normal and you already have the ability to “tame” your “fight or flight” response. Just know that through practice, you’ll strengthen your ability to develop a “relaxation” response to these troubling times.

References

Kurth, C. (2016). Anxiety, normative uncertainty, and social regulation. Biology & Philosophy, 31(1), 1-21.

Mellor, K. (2017). Life the hidden template, life energy the driving force, grounding the action. Transactional Analysis Journal, 47(1), 54-67.