How To Control Emotions When We Have Anxiety

How To Control Emotions When We Have Anxiety

"The intensity of the anxiety is proportional to the meaning that the situation has for the affected person, even if she is essentially ignorant of the reasons for her anxiety" ( Karen Horney )

Few phrases have so effectively and simply described what the difficulty in controlling emotions entails when we have anxiety. As if it were an overflowing river -although paralyzing, not activating-, our mind remains on guard even when there is no real threatening stimulus .

In the same way that happens when the stomach produces too much gastric acid due to an organic imbalance, anxiety does the same with the natural mechanism that human beings have to perceive threats.

However, it is not easy to overcome generalized anxiety when we enter that cycle of "fear of fear" or, rather, of being afraid of feeling that anxiety again .

This can actually be explained by the chemistry behind anxiety. According to the "Revista Ciencia" and the psychologist Miguel Pérez de la Mora, "there is no single region in charge of the integration of anxiety" in our brain, but there are multiple ones that are activated in our central nervous system when we feel it, that is, , it is not possible to refer to a single neurotransmitter but to the global number of neurons and neuronal connections that participate (as you can guess, it is more complex, even at an explanatory level).

In other words, it is a complex and multifactorial disorder, so it is difficult to give it a simplified solution.

Can we control emotions with anxiety?

It depends. If anxiety occurs in a timely manner, there are certain tips that can be followed to modulate emotions at a "home" cognitive level. However, when you suffer from generalized anxiety, treatment without adequate professional intervention can worsen the situation, since we are talking about a serious disorder that greatly affects who suffers from it. For this reason, the line must be drawn between what is natural anxiety and what is not, separating between that specific event in which we feel anxious (a meeting or interview, the death of a loved one, an exam...) and that other event that it does not abandon us but settles in our daily life .

How you can control emotions when you suffer from anxiety

Although the complexity of generalized anxiety disorder makes it impossible for definitive solutions to be identified in a single article (since each case is different), here are two basic tips to modulate emotions when we believe that a sensation of this type overwhelms us: Often, one of the roots of anxiety is self-demand and a tendency toward perfectionism. Therefore, if you want to change your internal dialogue, the main thing is to treat yourself well and know how to forgive .

 Remember that boycotting the most difficult judge in your mind is the worst thing you can do. Small achievements to improve self-esteem : Anxiety is also linked to a tendency to feel scrutinized with a magnifying glass. How to control emotions when we have anxiety times and judge for which self-esteem must also be worked on . One way to do it is to gradually meet small goals -for example, start eating a healthy breakfast or do a few minutes of exercise a day for 4 days a week-. They must be easy objectives to achieve so that it is not difficult to achieve them. By being aware that you are capable, your self-esteem and motivation will improve, and, therefore, your anxiety will decrease.