Weathering the Storm of Fear and Anxiety

What do you notice when you look at this picture?

The two things that stand out to me are the mountain tops and the still water. Both provide such different meanings but yet point to two important TRUTHS. 

TRUTH #1: There is beauty in overcoming hardship (Mountain tops have been used to describe, achievement, obstacles, responsibilities, tasks, a path to success, overcoming). 

TRUTH #2: Peace and calm come after a storm (Water has been used to communicate the sacred value of life - we need it to survive, the spiritual dimension of purification, protection, and healing).

In life, the hope is to overcome hardship so that we can experience peace and calm after a storm, and come away from that storm having learned something new, and grown as an individual. I think it is important to note, that we will without a doubt experience storms and hardship in our lives. We can’t get around it, we have to go through it, and the beauty in each of our stories, is that if we weather the storm with truth and hope, we will experience the peace, and overcome the hardship. 

I want to say out loud, “We are going to get through this” ON REPEAT. Something I need to keep at the forefront of my thoughts daily, especially on those REALLY REALLY hard days. 

We are currently facing a global pandemic with COVID-19, and the anxiety and fear in most individuals are at an all-time high. There are so many unknowns, and we don’t know how long this will last. This is without a doubt, a storm and hardship for us all. 

So, what do we do? 

We stay the course, focus on what we CAN control, invite HOPE into each day, and remember that we are NOT ALONE.  As a therapist, my brain always goes to this question: “What can we practically do about this?” We can actually do A LOT! The reality is we all experience fear and anxiety. However, the more we let our anxious thoughts grow, the more fearful we become.  So, what do we do? We introduce positive self-talk into our internal dialogue and focus on things we CAN control. We can also focus on living in the present, not on the “what if” statements that our fear and anxiety so easily cling to.  

How do we focus on what we CAN control? 

We can focus on how we encourage and love those around us near and far through technology - thank you technology! This is such a gift to be able to communicate with loved ones during this time. We can check-in with friends and neighbors, we can give financially, we can turn inward and focus on areas we can learn and grow in, we can control how we respond to our fearful and anxious thoughts, and we can invite hope and joy into each day. 

Here are some helpful tools to focus on as we weather this storm. Remember you are not alone. 

1. Daily Mindset: What is the positive truth message you are telling yourself? How can you invite JOY and HOPE into each day?

2. Grounding exercises: try essential oils, breathing exercises, change your environment or create movement (i.e., go for a walk, call a loved one, listen to music, try an online yoga class, create in the kitchen or make art).

3. Prayer/Mindfulness: Focus on being present in your body, notice how you feel, name it, and breathe. Let go of the fear or anxiety you are feeling just for a moment, and invite peace, calm, joy, or positive self-talk into that space. Notice how you feel. Carry that with you throughout your day. 

4. Writing exercise: Write out what is in your control vs. what is not in your control - notice “what if” statements. Do your current thoughts add to your fears or minimize your fears? Write out a few positive truth statements that you want to meditate on. 

5. Daily Gratitude: inviting joy into your day and practicing gratitude improves your overall health and well-being. What are you thankful for?

It is so important to create space in each day to check-in with ourselves. To notice how we feel, and to challenge our brain and body to work through our fearful and anxious thoughts one day at a time. I encourage you to invite that HOPE and JOY into your life as we weather this storm together. 

Be encouraged, be kind to one another, and stay the course. — we are going to get through this!

Thank you for reading!

//

LEANNE KONZELMAN MA, LMHC

​Therapist + Founder

Novolifecounseling.com

Helpful Resources: 

1. Switch on your Brain, By Dr. Caroline Leaf

2. Manage your Stress, Mayo Clinic

3. Braving the Wilderness, By Brené Brown

4. Coping with COVID-19, managing stress, fear, and anxiety

5. Daily gratitude journal download

6. Helpful apps: Headspace, 5 min Journal