The Essential Skill to Regulate Your Nervous System - Relaxed Vigilance vs. Hypervigilance: Day 21 Break the Anxiety Cycle

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Feb 1, 2024

Learn about the essential skill to regulate your nervous system for managing chronic anxiety. Explore how micro triggers impact stress responses and the benefits of nervous system self-regulation. Discover simple skills to reduce anxiety and improve sleep by calming the body and mind.

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INSIGHT

Self-Regulation vs. Relaxation

Relaxation is a form of avoidance that contributes to the anxiety cycle.
Nervous system self-regulation is a more effective long-term strategy.

ADVICE

Grounding Techniques

Check in with your body frequently throughout the day to become aware of your nervous system state.
Use grounding skills like slow breaths, yawning, or muscle relaxation to turn on the parasympathetic response.

ADVICE

Nervous System Regulation Practice

Set a timer for every 15 minutes to check in with your body for the first week.
Use a grounding skill each time the timer goes off to activate the relaxation response.

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This is Day 21 of my online course, Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Buy the full course here: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills

This is seriously one of the most powerful interventions I know of for chronic anxiety. It uses a bottom-up approach, a body-first approach to regulate your nervous system to reduce stress and anxiety throughout the day. And it’s pretty simple to learn.

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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe

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