Would being in the above setting make you happy or anxious?
My daughter and I just returned from Florida for vacation. One of the many activities we did was tubing on the Itchnetuckee River (pictured above.) It was breathless in its natural beauty and the water was truly crystal clear!
With Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer just around the corner, it's a perfect time to reflect on how seasonal shifts and life events impact our anxiety levels. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing a series of emails focused on understanding anxiety, its effects, and practical ways to manage it. This topic holds particular significance for me, as it's been the most common challenge my clients have sought help with over my thirty years of practice!
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a natural response to stress, characterized by feelings of worry, nervousness, or fear. While it's normal to experience anxiety in certain situations, chronic anxiety can significantly impact our daily lives and overall well-being.
Seasonal Reflections on Anxiety
Do you find your anxiety levels changing with the seasons? Perhaps you feel more relaxed during the summer, with less traffic and the kids out of school. Or, on the contrary, maybe the increased time at home with children raises your anxiety levels.
Some people find that vacations lower their anxiety, providing a much-needed break from their routine. However, others experience heightened anxiety due to flying, the unknown, and unpredictable circumstances.
Personal Reflection
Tubing on the Itchnetuckee River, surrounded by nothing, literally no buildings or sign of humanity at all!) just trees and wildlife, I felt my stress literally flow down the river and away.. Watching turtles sunning on the riverbanks while blue, red and brown dragonflies landed on us as we drifted along was a serene and magical experience.
We even saw a snake crossing the river and heard about a huge rattlesnake on one of the paths leading to the river. No signs of alligators though the signs gave fair warning.
This experience reminded me that …
What triggers anxiety is subjective.
While some find solace in nature, others might feel uncomfortable or even terrified in such settings. This is a key message I want to emphasize in this series on anxiety.
Take a Moment Right Now and Make a Personal Reflection …Your Journey to Calm Starts Here
Consciously and intentionally identifying your triggers for anxiety and deciding that you are not powerless over them. You can identify them and clear them even if they seem irrational or deep-rooted.
Take Five Minutes and Do This Exercise:
I invite you to take a moment to journal about your own sources of anxiety:
What situations, people, or events trigger anxiety for you?
How does your anxiety fluctuate with seasonal changes or during specific events like vacations?
Identifying and understanding your anxiety patterns is the first step toward managing them effectively.
Why Address Anxiety?
Anxiety is the number one topic I address with my clients because it often underlies many other issues such as:
Drinking and smoking
Fear of flying
Relationship problems
Performance anxiety
And many more…see our list of topics in the menu.
By understanding and managing anxiety, we can tackle these challenges more effectively and improve our quality of life.
