The 3-3-3 rule for anxiety is a technique that uses emotional grounding to reduce anxiety. The technique gets you to focus on the present, shifting your focus away from your worry. Negative thoughts tend to stem from the future or the past, so by focusing on the here and now, you can reduce your negative thoughts and gain some clarity. The 3-3-3 rule is a short exercise that you can use on a daily basis or during moments of high stress or anxiety.
Autumn typically makes us think of many things: pumpkins, fall foliage, apple-picking, hayrides, and colder temperatures. While there are many themes that come up when fall comes to mind, mental health is typically not one of them. However, as we enter a new season, there are a lot of lessons the seasonal change can provide, with regard to overall wellness. Here are a few lessons from the transition of fall that can support overall wellbeing.
Starting your day off focused on things you enjoy, and what you want to achieve, can reduce the stress that can sometimes occur first thing. Aim to spend a few moments each morning focused on what you want your day to look like. Imagining a positive outcome can assist in this actually occurring. So aim to start your day considering what you are looking forward to and practicing self-care first thing.
We all experience around 6000 thoughts per day. That’s a lot of thinking within one waking period! That being said, sometimes these thoughts get stuck in your mind, almost as if they are a song with an error that keeps playing the same five seconds of the song, or a television show that’s frozen on one particular scene. Often the thoughts that tend to get stuck and cycle like this, are associated with negative emotions such as worry about various topics such as completing tasks, perceptions others may have of us, or something we are worried we may have forgotten.
As the pandemic has raged on, various communities have experienced struggles in our country and others, political tension has risen, and other nations have experienced hardships, the uncertainty and unpredictability of things can lead to feeling many symptoms of anxiety.
While many have established strategies to cope with some of the above factors, like wearing masks, the emotional toll these events have taken on us is large. The way we handle the difficult emotions that have developed as a result of this time period is important, as they can continue to negatively impact ourselves and others.
COVID-19 has brought us a year of anxious uncertainty. Sheltering in place, working remotely, or facing daily hazards as essential workers, we’ve been unable to see our extended families, meet a friend for coffee, or even go to the gym, a sports game, concert, or movie. Some of us have lost loved ones, leaving a heartbreaking hole in our lives. All of us have lost touch with the normal rhythms of life. With no breaks in routine and fewer simple pleasures, the past few months have been an endless blur. Recent studies have shown that depression rates in America have tripled since the pandemic began (Berman, 2020).
Our relationship with ourselves is often at the core of other challenges such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or difficulties in relationships. How do we shift to seeing ourselves and treating ourselves the same way we treat others? If we can learn to be our own friends and practice self-compassion, we can boost our spirits and alleviate some of the struggles leading to that increased critical voice.
Often when we think of Valentine’s Day we think about hearts, love, gifts, and planning. For many who struggle with anxiety or worry thoughts, Valentine’s Day can be full of worries around disappointing someone else. Worries around being alone and your future relationships can also come to mind if you do not have a partner. For those struggling with depression, cynical thoughts around the unworthiness of finding love, cynical thoughts around the commercialization of the holiday, or hopelessness around finding a partner may occur. With so many thoughts like these, it is likely that Valentine’s Day can be difficult for many!
While the holidays can be stressful for everyone, those dealing with depression and anxiety can struggle that much more. About 1 in 5 adults will suffer from mental illness each year and the holidays can create more stress, that triggers or exacerbates those mental health conditions. One of the best ways to alleviate stress is to engage in effective self-care such as eating balanced meals, getting enough sleep, and making sure you have enough downtime.
As the weather is getting colder and the holidays are approaching, more to-dos, deadlines, and social pressures may arise. However, there are many ways to take care of your emotional wellbeing during the holiday season. Did you know, the winter sun in Norway doesn’t rise above the horizon, the days are short and dimly lit. So the Norwegians take the opportunity to create koselig, or a cozy way of living. This tradition means getting under a blanket with a cup of tea and enjoying your time with family and friends peacefully. And koselig must be working as Norwegians have astonishingly low rates of seasonal affective disorder and depression rates during the winter.
The holidays hold a lot of pressure for many. Even if you are looking forward to the lights, food, and festivities during the holiday season, there may also be a lot of stress. Pressure to impress loved ones with the most picture-perfect meal or the greatest gift can lead to stress. Wanting to buy the best gift can lead to strains on a tight budget, and this year, the delays in packages can lead to stress and anxiety that your gifts won’t arrive on time. For many this year, feelings of sadness may also arise from being unable to be close to family during this time. Below are a few things you can do if you find yourself stressed or depressed during this holiday season.
While the holidays may bring up thoughts of spending time with friends, delicious food, and other festivities, for others the holidays can bring up feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. This year, these feelings may be stronger with many unable to see family and friends. If you’re experiencing stress during this holiday season, below are some coping strategies to manage increased levels of stress, anxiety, and sadness.
We’ve all experienced the negative effects of social media at some point in time and we have either all taken a break or have had our friends and family take social media breaks for a time. We know that taking a break can help reduce our stress levels. Research is limited, however has revealed that a little break from social media can relieve physiological symptoms of stress, at least in the short-term.
One of the best ways to reduce anxiety is using a tool all of us have in our tool belts of skills all of the time: breathing. However, while breathing is something we all do, every day, there are certain types of breathing that help reduce anxiety and the more you practice them, the easier it is to use in difficult moments. Diaphragmatic breathing is one technique that can be beneficial for reducing anxiety.
Trauma-triggers often come up in both research and the popular media. The phrase “triggered” can often make others uncomfortable or dredge up negative emotions as it may make others feel they are seen as weak or too sensitive. The common misconception of the use of this phrase negatively impacts those who suffer from Post-traumatic stress and other trauma-related disorders. It’s important to understand the term and the implications this has for those recovering from traumatic events in order to support and validate their experiences.
Research reports that when you practice gratitude you can in fact reduce depression and anxiety by keeping positive thoughts in mind. We all can remember being told to be grateful from early on in our childhood whether it was for receiving a gift or praise of some kind. Unfortunately, these types of statements, though well-intended, often limit emotional space. We start to believe it is not okay to feel angry, sad, or disappointed when there is so much we should be grateful for. We all have developed internal beliefs, over time, that can become harmful if we do not tackle them. So how do you reframe your thoughts about gratitude, you need to identify how they developed in the first place.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created sudden changes and uncertainty for all of us. Our routines have been disrupted in ways that none of us could have imagined even a few short weeks ago. ModernTherapy is committed to supporting your mental health whether that be through our counselors or through various community supports. We’ve compiled a list of resources with various self-care and support topics ranging from anxiety resources to mindfulness techniques.
Social distancing has become crucial in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. However, this can feel lonely and isolating, especially if you typically are on your own whether in your work life or personal life. For many, connecting via social media has become the new norm. Whether being on your own is something you are used to or not, the differences at present are valid and can take a toll on anyone.
We are always encountering stressful situations and have to determine the best ways to manage these in order to reduce anxiety and fear. As the Coronavirus pandemic continues, it is easy to feel fear and anxiety, amidst a global crisis. There is uncertainty around many things at present however this does not mean that you cannot use strategies to remain in the present and turn your thoughts away from those anxieties to other thoughts as well as ideas around what the future may hold at the end of this experience. There are strategies that can be used to remain in the present moment, pushing forward through anxiety.
Martin Seligman, one of the founding fathers of Positive Psychology, recommends the “Put It In Perspective” exercise to help refocus the brain and reduce anxiety. This practice focuses first on deciding the worst-case scenario, which our brains typically tend to do first, moves to the best-case scenario, and then settles on the most likely scenario. In this way, thoughts move from those that are irrational to those that are rational.
