Do you know how to switch off an anxiety alarm?

 Anxiety is our clever inbuilt alarm system, warning us of potential danger. When we feel anxious our stress response is triggered. When faced with a perceived threat, the brain’s amygdala signals the hypothalamus (also in the brain) to initiate the stress response. This triggers the release of stress hormones, primarily adrenaline and cortisol, from the adrenal glands. Clever, hey! 

Adrenaline rapidly prepares the body for a "fight, flight, freeze" reaction by increasing heart rate, elevating blood pressure, and enhancing energy supplies. Cortisol, on the other hand, helps sustain this heightened state by regulating metabolism and maintaining energy levels over a longer period. Together, these hormones prompt physical changes such as shallow breathing, muscle tension, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Absolutely brilliant if we are in real life danger! Or if we need a little kick up the bum to do something tricky,  like present in front of an audience where a shot of adrenaline can help clear the mind! 

However, in modern life, anxiety can lead to chronic activation of this response, even in the absence of real threats. If you are someone who has constant headaches, tummy problems, sleeping issues then this could be the case for you. We know are children are more anxious then ever so we might also see these changes in them too.  

So, if the alarm is permanently on, how do we turn it off❓🤔🤔 

A good place to start is to recognise the feeling in your body. Feelings like to be seen and heard (not necessarily acted upon) Take a couple of minutes to close your eyes and check what is going on in your body. If you feel anxious, where abouts in your body do you feel it? Can you describe it? Is it a colour or a shape that you could describe. Perhaps imagine it is a small child and see if you can find some words to reassure it. The science tells us that acknowledging feelings helps us to process them. Have a go!  

The Emotions Lab