Have you ever allowed someone else’s anxiety to influence your own sense of a situation? Did it cause you to shift into uncertainty, fear or chaos even if normally you would have remained calm?
Maybe it triggered you in such a way that you experienced a full-blown anxiety or panic attack yourself.
It always hurts to watch someone go through a true panic attack. I feel so helpless when it happens.
However, one thing I’ve learned through the years is that remaining calm is the best gift and assistance we can give those susceptible to anxiety and panic attacks. They need reassurance that everything is OK and will be OK.
Stabilizing force
We can be the stabilizing figure for them in the midst of the battle they face within themselves, especially if they are new to learning and developing coping methods in preparation for when those moments occur.
The same is true in general life moments when someone expresses an unreasonable level of nervousness, fear or frustration.
We don’t have to dive in with the person, group or talking heads screaming the sky is falling and the heaviest piece is sure to land on us.
If the situation is related to someone we know, then they may not understand why we aren’t reacting hysterically like they are. They may even judge or belittle us because of it.
Still, maintaining the discipline to choose calmness, gracefulness and thoughtfulness will always serve us better.
Not only does it allow us to respond cautiously after thinking through and around the situation rather than reacting emotionally without careful thought, but it also provides the opportunity for clarity and accuracy to surface.
Stress-reduction strategies
It may take deep breath exercises such as the 4-7-8 method to steady our heart rate. Inhale through the nose for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, then breathe out through the nose for eight seconds.
If that’s not enough, then try placing an ice pack on your chest to calm the central nervous system.
Also, reducing stimulation helps tremendously. Turn off the TV and other devices. Lie back with a cover over your eyes and maybe even noise-canceling headphones.
Pull a blanket, preferably a weighted blanket, over you and take slow, deep breaths.
Hold tightly to Jesus
And for those who are believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, we can always hold tightly to His promise that no matter how difficult the situation, He is with us.
The risen Savior (our inspiration for our page 1 image in the March 21 edition of The Alabama Baptist) reminds us of the extent to which He proved that promise to us.
What are other methods that work for you?
What are some experiences where you wish you had stayed calm rather than being led astray by another person’s high anxiety? How would you handle that same situation today? Share your thoughts here.
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