What if I never meet Mr. Right? What if I can’t focus on my school work? What if I’m not enough? What if he cheats? What if I have a panic attack? What if I’m dying?
The spiral of fear and avoidance continues daily. Now, with our “new normal” there are thousands more people seeking help for anxiety, as if it was something we are just discovering.
Anxiety attaches itself to everything in its path like a tornado picking up debris. But we’ve known it since the beginning of time. We’ve been through war, 9/11, grief and famine. We are stronger than we realize, more resilient. In a recent New York Times article, the author claimed that meaning, not happiness, is the key to survival in hard times.
The keys to unlocking phobias and panic are straightforward:
1. Learn to relax. Really do it. Meditate. Breathe. Stretch. Walk. Read. Write. Sing. Dance. Paint.
2. Forgive your parents. This is a challenging situation for everyone.
3. Lean into the pain. Embrace it and allow yourself to be gently comforted by loving-kindness from within yourself. Remember that Yoga deep breathing re-connect you with your very own inner self-regulation tool, the amygdala.
4. Read “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene Brown. You will learn to be patient with your pain and vulnerability. You can use it. You can fake it til you make it. You can quiet down your insatiable need for control.
5. Finally, check out this TED talk for 20-somethings and seize your life now! It’s yours not to squander! This talk, more than anything I’ve seen in years, tells young people how to OWN YOUR LIFE. It’s not a dress-rehearsal.
Resources:
**For more ideas of how to pass the time: https://blog.zencare.co/big-list-of-pleasant-activities-coronavirus/?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-april-6&utm_term=copy
For Emergency:
www.crisistextline.org
Donna C. Moss, MA, LCSW-R is a skilled adolescent therapist who writes about issues in mental health. With 20 years experience in areas such as: infertility, cancer, health, stress, divorce mediation, and anxiety, Donna has a broad understanding of many life transitions. She provides a supportive, goal-oriented, cognitive/behavioral and proven methods for uncovering past traumas and moving toward healthy living. Moss is an avid hiker, yoga practitioner and swimmer and is married with two children.
