145: Topics From Counselling Clients I Learn How Your Anxiety Fluctuates, Day to Day

Welcome to episode 145! A client recently asked me about the best ways to reduce his anxiety at work; we spoke about how different tools work best at different times. She told me how he would do his best to sit with his fears and stress, but sometimes they got the better of him.

So, I asked her to rate his anxiety levels on a scale of 1-10, and then asked him what his different tools were for the different numbers on the scale. She didn’t have a variety of tools . . . We spoke about how different intensities of anxiety require different tools because - as this video discusses - if the anxiety is at a 10 and the “bath tub is overflowing” - there’s no point simply being with it; or in other words, trying to stay calm whilst watching the bathroom flood.

If your anxiety is at a 10: move. Dance. Get up out of your seat and shake your arms. Walk. Exercise. Anxiety is energy and at that level, that energy needs to go somewhere. In my opinion, meditation is a preventative practise; it’s not necessarily the best thing to do when you’re in the middle of a panic attack. When you’re at a 10, then it’s about working with the body, not so much the mind.

Please reach out if you’d like some clarification about your own anxiety! And remember: view your emotions like water in a bath!