e sse nt i al well-being
ANXIETY
Sometimes Helpful, Sometimes Not by Elizabeth H. Winston, PhD COVID has been a long haul, and we don’t know when it will end. Feelings of anger, exhaustion, stress, sadness, grief, and restlessness abound. Many of us are languishing with frequent or constant anxiety, nervousness, and tension. Acute anxiety can manifest physically as a racing heart; quick, shallow breathing; and heightened or overwhelming of the senses. Prolonged anxiety can be felt in our bodies as an ache or butterflies in the stomach; headaches; muscle tension in our backs, necks and shoulders; and clenched or grinding teeth. Mentally, anxiety can show up as obsessive thinking; worrying; nervousness; and even magical thinking, such as “If I do this thing, I can prevent this other bad thing from happening.” Anxiety exists for a reason, and it does have benefits. The anxiety response, a physiological fight or flight response, alerts us to danger. If we are actually in physical danger, an increased heart rate, shallow breathing, and blood rushing to our arms and legs could be helpful in preparing us to fight or run away. 10 | m a d i s o n e s s e n t i a l s
The release of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, can help prepare for handling a threat. Similarly, the stress response can help cope with psychological danger, such as when you are in conflict with a family member or co-worker or when you are an outsider amongst an in-group. The right amount of anxious arousal can help you be prepared and on your toes; however, too much can overwhelm you and make it hard to think or plan. The notion of an ideal amount of anxiety is known as the Yerkes-Dodson law. A moderate amount of stress or anxiety sets us up to perform well, think clearly, and make good decisions. If we have too little anxiety, we may not have enough energy and focus to perform well. In contrast, if we are overwhelmed with anxiety, we could shut down, have an angry outburst, choke under pressure, or make a poor decision with a negative outcome. I encourage my clients to pay attention to their anxiety when it’s telling them to attend to an important task or decision.
Whatever they have control over, they should attend to and make decisions about. When it comes to COVID, we should attend to the anxiety that alerts us that we are in potential danger and respond to what we do have control over. Masking, vaccinating, and testing frequently are some actions we can take to protect ourselves and our loved ones, reducing our anxiety. Anxiety about potential new variants, whether others will get vaccinated, and how long our lives will be impacted by COVID are things we have much less control over. When we become overwhelmed with these worries, we may respond by fighting (yelling or attacking), fleeing (withdrawing or avoiding), or freezing (shutting down or sleeping). I encourage my clients to attempt anxiety reduction strategies to manage these worries. Strategies, such as distraction, doing something pleasurable, going for a walk, or talking to a friend, can reduce stress and anxiety. While some of us have been anxious about the potential for loss during this
