AnxietyBlog #3 The Triggers

AnxietyBlog #3

The Anxiety Triggers

What triggers your Anxiety?  What are Anxiety Triggers? How do they develop? 

How do I get rid of them?

Your subconscious mind functions by firing your Flight Fight or Freeze reaction.

Flight Flight or Freeze is a Normal Natural Reaction. It’s our warning system of danger, it keeps us safe. When it works properly its great, when it works overtime it becomes a bad habit reaction. Triggered by sensory input.

Your Subconscious Mind is designed to Protect you, Keep you safe, and meet your needs, that’s its job.

The subconscious mind is best thought of as a an audio visual device or camera, Always on record. It is recording All of our experiences 24/7. Audio,Visual, Auditory, Sensory/Feeling. 

So you experience and event or trauma: your subconscious mind records Everything about that experience, related to it and UNrelated to that event.

So for example: You have a car accident. Your brain, your subconscious mind records everything around that accident that happens. And also records Everything surrounding the accident that is Not directly related to that accident. For example, lets say there’s a guy walking by the accident wearing a red coat, UNrelated to the accident, but present.

So it’s 6-8 months later and let’s say you are walking downtown; it’s a sunny day, your with friends, near a cross walk, and you Consciously don’t notice but a guy walks by on the other side of the street wearing a red coat like the guy the day of the accident. Suddenly you are experiencing an Anxiety/Panic attack. 

So if you decide to flee downtown, you have kept the “red coat guy” trigger for anxiety, and added a few more triggers, such as downtown, crosswalks, perhaps crowds downtown etc. ... 

However if you stay, and perhaps sit down or just stand there, and use the diaphragmatic breathing technique** (Relaxation Breathing**), what you will notice is that your anxiety will go slightly up at first and then come steadily down until you are comfortable again.

What you have accomplished is HUGE. You have just eliminated the “guy in the red coat” trigger and prevented the addition of any additional triggers.

Each time you use Relaxation Breathing** in a stressful, anxiety provoking experience, you eliminate a trigger for stress and anxiety, and thus reduce your reaction to triggers. Experiences of anxiety become less and less. You become more and more in control of your level of relaxation. The more you use Relaxation Breathing the quicker it works, the better it works and the less likely you will react to that trigger in the future. it is always with you and available to you wherever you go.

You are more and more in control of your level of relaxation. Where’ve you are, whatever you are doing, whatever is going on around you.

** Relaxation Breathing MUST be diaphragmatic breathing! 

Any other breathing technique will NOT work.

Relaxation Breathing

Relaxation Breathing

Once you know how, this Relaxation Breathing exercise should be practiced at least once per day. Practice at bedtime to use to fall easily asleep. Use anytime, anywhere, whenever you feel the slightest feeling of stress.

Sit or lye down, make yourself comfortable. Place one or both hands on your belly, just above your naval, and below your rib cage. Take a Deep breath, allow your belly to initiate or start the breath. Allow your belly to fully expand with your intake of breath. You may notice your lower back arching slightly as you inhale.

Then on the exhale allow your belly to push the air out of your lungs. Allowing the belly to start and gently force the air back out of your lungs.

Notice that with your hands on your belly you can feel your belly expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale. As you breathe deeply and slowly, simply observe and feel your belly gently move in and out.

Repeat this exercise for 10 Breaths. Practice for 10 breaths every night at bedtime.

This will help you fall asleep. Also use daily several times a day.

You can use this breathing technique to reduce stress and anxiety wherever you are, whatever you are doing. Use it sitting, standing, walking, driving…

The more you use it, the better it works. The more you use it the faster it works.

The more you use it, the less likely you are to have an episode of anxiety, panic or stress.

The more you use it, the body and mind learns to quickly and immediately go into relaxation.

Remember: the body cannot be excited, anxious and fearful, at the same time it is relaxed, calm and peaceful.