Anxiety Management Archives - Modern Counseling San Diego

How to Recognize Our Emotions

Jun 8, 2021 | Anxiety Management, College Counseling, Contributor Articles

By: Gabriel Vitug
Guest Writer

When it comes to coping with anxiety, an effective first step is to recognize our emotions. However, identifying emotions and what causes them can be daunting at first. Below is a step by step guide that will help you through the process.

Step 1: Take your emotional temperature.

To take your emotional temperature, try to evaluate what you feel, mentally, emotionally, and physically whenever you experience anxiety or are overwhelmed by stress. Ask yourself, how do I feel? Whatever that may be, it is important to be specific. Try to avoid vague statements such as “fine” or “okay.” To help you identify and name different emotions, here’s a feelings wheel. Next, identify which emotions are the strongest and try to pinpoint when you started feeling this way. Take your time, the key is to be thorough.

Don’t forget to acknowledge the positive emotions. Identifying the feelings that enrich our lives is also very important. Documenting your responses can be beneficial to the process as well. This way, you can easily come back and pick up where you left off.

Step 2: Identify what causes your emotions.

Once you have taken your emotional temperature, identify what triggers certain emotions. Just like the previous step, being specific and thorough is crucial. To do this, think about a moment where you felt anxious. Try to pick apart that moment. Are you talking to someone new? Or are you overwhelmed by multiple looming deadlines at school or work? Also, try to consider emotional reactions to situations you have no control over such as world events or dreams.

Step 3: Self-compassion.

Feeling guilty for feeling anxious is a common mistake we make. Try being kinder to yourself; talk to yourself like you would a friend. Another mistake people make is ignoring their emotions. In an article for Psychology Today, Dr. Joan Cusack Handler says that “feelings function like a pressure cooker: Pressure increases without release. Then, once released, the intensity is reduced. The corollary is the fact that feelings that are denied or dismissed do NOT diminish in size or disappear, but are intensified.”

I can definitely attest to Dr. Handler’s previous statement. Before learning about coping strategies and anxiety in general, whenever I felt strong emotions, I’d always try to bottle them up and wait for them to go away. Spoiler alert: these emotions never went away. It wasn’t until I started being more proactive that I started to feel better. To learn some effective strategies, check out our article on coping with stress.

Unless our emotions are negatively impacting others around us, we should remind ourselves that what we feel is valid. But If dealing with emotions ever becomes too much to handle on your own, reach out to a mental health professional.

Works Cited

Turrell et al. The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Teen Anxiety. New Harbinger
Publications.
Handler, Joan Cusack. “Identifying Your Feelings.” Psychology Today, 19 January 2018,
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/art-and-science/201801/identifying-your-feelings. Accessed 1 June 2021.

Coping with COVID-19 Stress

Jun 1, 2021 | Anxiety Management, Contributor Articles, Featured Posts, Stress Reduction

By Contributing Writer Darién Castillo

With more and more people getting vaccinated in the US, it appears like the end to the quarantine experience is just around the corner. Some dealt with the emotional toll of the pandemic by finding new creative outlets, such as baking bread, socially-distanced nature walks, picking up new hobbies, maybe even writing a book. But not all people experienced the pandemic in the same way. With a death toll of over 1 million worldwide, the Pandemic certainly inflicted much loss and grief onto communities. And, many who survived Covid continue to experience lingering health and mental health issues. Aside from the physical consequences inflicted directly by the virus, many have also been affected by fear of the virus itself or by extended periods of loneliness during quarantine isolation. Even as Covid restrictions appear to be coming to an end, the physical and psychological consequences persist.

If you or a loved one still suffer from psychological impacts caused by the pandemic, you are not alone. After more than a year of isolation depression, anxiety and social anxiety have been on the rise. Symptoms may include mental or physical fatigue/exhaustion, lack of motivation, or anxiety about social interactions.

Fortunately, these symptoms are manageable and treatable. If you are anxious about socializing or interacting with large groups of people, start slow. Meet up with one or two people, then slowly expand your social circle to a point that feels comfortable. Follow pandemic safety protocols such as social distancing and wearing masks, and larger social interactions will inevitably begin to feel more natural. Small communal activities such as book/movie clubs or outdoor visits are a great way to reintegrate social interaction into one’s life.

For essential workers as well as those just returning to in-person work environments, it is important to take frequent breaks and get plenty of rest. Consistent sleep schedules can improve one’s mental health greatly as well. Mental and physical wellness programs are a great tool to take advantage of, as some companies offer them to employees and their families. You may also want to seek professional help through therapy and teletherapy, a safe and convenient alternative to in-person counseling sessions. However you may be feeling now, it is important to remember that these symptoms do not last forever, and that however long it may take, life will eventually begin to feel normal again.

Visit these resources for coping strategies (updated):

Coping With Stress – CDC

Mental Health and COVID-19 Information and Resources

NIH Shareable Resources on Coping With COVID-19 Related Mental Health Issues

Resources for Employees and Workers: Pandemic Stress and Anxiety

For additional resources in San Diego County, call the Access and Crisis Line 24/7 at 1-888 724-7240. If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911 or visit the nearest Emergency Room (ER).

Mindfulness in the Age of Distraction

Apr 1, 2016 | Anxiety Management, Coaching and life changes, College Counseling, Counseling, In the News, Mindfulness, Research, Stress Reduction

Many books and articles have been written on mindfulness but it’s difficult to remain mindful in the age of technology with the constant interruption of notification sound effects, vibrations, and ringtones. Our minds are wired for these distractions; they love, love, love the hit. It’s a bit like fireworks going off in our brain; when our cell phones sound, our brains light up with dopamine, the happiness chemical. But just like the sound of slot machines can have a habit-forming quality so can the hits we get from our cell phone sounds, to the detriment of our ability to enjoy the present moment and the people in our company. Time Magazine’s recent article, You Asked: Am I Addicted to My Phone, looks at the potential impact of smartphones on our health and relationships.

So what would it be like to be really present today with a family member or friend whom you really love? To fully give your attention to that person without checking your phone (not even once)? The long-term benefits of spending some time each day fully tuning in to the present moment without phone distractions may just surprise you.