Anxiety

“Just stop worrying about it!”

Does this sound familiar? I guess that someone in your life, or maybe even you, has said this at some point.

It implies that you choose to worry, you are unwilling to be well, and you’re not trying hard enough.

You are not the problem.

Worry and anxiety are highly complex and challenging to navigate because anxiety and worry amplify the more we try to stop them.

That’s right. For most people, attempting to stop their worry increases it. Here’s an example that highlights how paradoxical anxiety can be.

Alex* just received a promotion.

Alex shifted into a management role. His promotion was well earned because he is precise, expeditious, and collegial. Alex should be happy – right?

Now, Alex oversees a team of engineers, answers to upper-level management, and sits through a sea of meetings. None of the tasks are “over his head,” but every issue with his team now reflects on him.

Alex starts to work longer hours, experiences sleeplessness, and wakes up with a racing mind.

Even worse, Alex’s family has started to notice his emails at the dinner table and that he is distracted during conversations. He and his partner haven’t had a date night in months.

Alex needs help.

Alex knows that something needs to change. He meets with his PCM for sleep medication, hoping that more sleep will make him feel more rested and present with his family.

The sleep aids work at first, but then, the same cycle repeats itself. He’s exhausted.

Is Alex in over his head?

Alex joins Healthy Mind Psychology.

Alex shares his story during his first session and speculates whether more sleep or ADHD medication would help him focus.

He believes that if he could do a little more at work, he could break through his stress, stop his racing mind, and enjoy his life.

Throughout treatment, Alex tunes into his anxiety.

He discusses the immense pressure to succeed that started in high school. He recognizes that his long work hours and racing mind are attempts to avoid letting others down, and paradoxically, they amplify his stress rather than reduce it.

Alex assesses the ways stress and anxiety have changed his body and mind. He learns tools for organizing his worry and practices establishing healthy boundaries with work.

Alex also discusses his values and vision for life. He realizes that he has let go of what matters to him. He reconnects with his family and prioritizes himself by joining his local running club.

And surprisingly, Alex continues to excel. His work improves, and relationships become richer and more enjoyable.

Work stress still exists, but Alex mindfully navigates these pressures and has learned how to work with anxiety rather than against it.

Anxiety treatment can change your life.

We have deadlines, complex relationships, goals, dreams, pressure, and unexpected events. Many of these things are good, but they often build up and begin to consume our lives.

Everyone experiences anxiety in a unique way. For some, anxiety seems to impact every area of life. For others, their anxiety focuses on specific situations or settings, like driving or social gatherings.

In some ways, anxiety is a natural response to our unpredictable world. Approximately 30% of people in America will experience clinical anxiety during their lifetime.

Anxiety may be common, but it doesn’t have to run our lives. Although every person’s treatment will look different, Healthy Mind Psychology can help you break out of the worry cycle and regain a sense of satisfaction and control in your life.

It’s time to put the pieces together. Contact Healthy Mind Psychology today to set up a free 15-minute phone consultation.

*Name and identifying information changed to protect client confidentiality.