A Scarsdale, NY Therapist Shares Mindfulness Tips to Manage Anxiety in a Crisis

The dangers that the coronavirus poses to all of us are very real. But, the fear and anxiety that we are experiencing as a response to this is spreading faster than the actual virus. Anxiety tells us that we’re in danger and we need to do something in order to survive. We either get ready to fight, run as far away as we can from our stressor, or do nothing. This “fight, flight, or freeze” response is not a conscious one, rather something that happens automatically. This fear response, which is absolutely beneficial when we’re facing imminent danger is now in complete overdrive for many of us. Nonstop alarming information comes into our awareness through news sources and social media. So, it might be very difficult for most people to find some sense of peace and calm that we all are searching for during these challenging times.

Mindfulness is the state of consciousness and bringing awareness to something. It helps us stay focused on the present moment without getting too caught up in all the unforeseeable aspects of the future. 

Here are 3 key areas to be mindful of during a crisis:

1.    ​​Be mindful of how much time you’re spending watching the news.

I know most of us are home right now. And, it’s pretty easy to have the tv on most of the day, even if it’s just for background noise. But, I highly suggest limiting your news coverage intake. It’s important to stay informed of COVID 19 updates. Yet, overdoing it is going to interfere with you establishing some type of normalcy in your home and life in the middle of a crisis. I recommend sticking to one credible news source and setting a limited amount of time to watch or listen to stay updated in current life events. At most, 30 minutes to an hour. It may help if, throughout the day, you pause and ask yourself, “Is what I am engaging with contributing to fear or peace?”

 2. Explore and acknowledge any new opportunities this time may be presented to you.

Many of us are not used to working from home and our schedules have completely changed. So, are there any opportunities this time is offering you? Some people are happy to be spending more time with their children or having more time to cook a home-cooked meal. Others are appreciating the extra hour or two in the morning from not having to get dressed up and commute to work. I’ve now gotten to expand my skill-set as I’ve been navigating doing solely virtual teaching, virtual learning, and virtual therapy. I didn’t ask for this, but I have learned a lot in the past few weeks that is only adding to my professional set of skills.

3. Notice how social distancing and isolation are affecting you.

Social distancing is not meant to be social isolation. Yes, we must be physically distant from those we love. Still, we need to be creative with ideas of how to stay connected with other people to cope with the loneliness. Some coping tips I’ve offered relate to virtual strategies. I’ve reminded everyone that virtual chats don’t have to be just for work and this has been helpful for many people. You could check out your favorite DJ’s website or social media page and see if they’re hosting a dance party online. Or, start looking for some new online classes to take. Some people have been taking virtual cooking classes, gym classes, and even dance classes. This may be a good time to learn how to salsa! If you’re used to going out with friends for Sunday brunch, host a virtual brunch and enjoy talking to your friends while drinking a mimosa!

3 mindfulness meditation techniques to practice being calm during stressful times

1. Deep Muscle Relaxation

   Find a comfortable position and close your eyes.

   Tighten each of the following muscle groups for 6-7 seconds and then relax them:

   1. Hands and arms

   2. Head, face, and throat

   3. Neck and shoulders

   4. Chest, shoulders, and upper back

   5. Lower back, stomach, and hips

   6. HIps, legs, and feet

   After relaxing each muscle group, exhale and relax fully and completely for about 20 seconds.

   Scan your body to see if there are any remaining areas of tension and attend to them.

2. Body Scan

   A body scan is very similar to deep muscle relaxation except you’re not actually tensing or relaxing separate muscle groups. You are actually just noticing and being mindful of what your body feels like. A typical Body Scan runs through each part of the body, paying special attention to the way each area feels, starting from the feet and moving upwards. You start by bringing awareness to your breath, by noticing the rhythm of you breathing and out. Then, you focus your awareness on different parts of the body that feel sore or heavy and also those parts where you feel absolutely nothing. You can practice this on your own or you can search for a guided meditation that will lead you into this.

3. Guided Meditations

   Some people like using guided meditations so that they can follow along with someone else’s instructions. You can easily Youtube “guided meditations” and find one that you like and plan to do it at least 5-10 minutes a day. I highly recommend using the Headspace app for guided meditations. For New Yorkers, Headspace as offered free guided meditations and other mental health resources at headspace.com/ny. If you’re not in New York, you can still enjoy some of these meditations and resources as Headspace has recently made them accessible for free during this current pandemic. You can get that at https://www.headspace.com/covid-19.

GET STARTED WITH ANXIETY THERAPY IN NEW YORK

If you are interested in getting started with a therapist who specializes in anxiety, I’m located in the Scarsdale area of Westchester and offer online therapy to anyone interested in the state of New York! To learn more about me and all the counseling services that I offer, explore my therapy website and feel free to send me an email at mguerrero@mindmattersmhc.com.

I want to be sure you are comfortable with this process from start to finish. If you have any insurance and procedural questions after reading this website, I am happy to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation first. To begin counseling in my Westchester counseling office, follow these simple steps:

1. Click the button below to schedule our first session.

2. Meet with me, Dr. Minerva Guerrero, a professional trauama & anxiety therapist.

3. Face your anxiety & begin to feel more peace and less worry about your life!

MORE THERAPY SERVICES IN WESTCHESTER, NY

In my Scarsdale therapy practice, I try to help each individual as fully as possible. In addition to counseling for anxiety, I offer teen counseling, therapy for adults, trauma therapy, and herapy for anxiety. Because I want to see you feel better quickly and retain that progress for years to come, I use effective counseling techniques such as EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy. I also support anyone in the state of New York through online therapy If you want to explore these options further, let’s connect!

3 Reasons Why COVID 19 is Triggering Anxiety & Trauma Symptoms in New York

People that have experienced trauma or who have PTSD often report symptoms like having nightmares or feeling as if they can’t escape their trauma. Although, many times these nightmares or flashbacks are bits and pieces of trauma replayed, many times it’s not.

Often, feeling stuck in a trauma actually has more to do with re-experiencing the negative emotions that you felt during your trauma, such as fear, anxiety, or helplessness, rather than the actual trauma memory. It’s also very common for the scent of a perfume, loud screaming, or a particular taste to take people back to their traumatic experience. For trauma experts, this makes a lot of sense because we know that trauma is not just stored in our brains but is also stored in our bodies and in our senses.  

So when we are going through a crisis, like we all currently are with the coronavirus pandemic, our mindset is no longer in “living” and “thriving” but rather “surviving”. This switch in mindset can have us feeling anxious, scared, and helpless, triggering our trauma and anxiety symptoms.

Here are some reasons Covid-19 can be triggering mental health concerns for people:

SOCIAL DISTANCING

From a public health perspective, social distancing makes sense. Stay-at-home orders are an absolute must to flatten the curve and reduce the number of people exposed to the coronavirus. Social distancing works but it will take some time to see results. This means that even though in New York, where we are currently in quarantine, we have no idea how long this will last. People all around the world are finding unique ways to stay connected to loved ones (I definitely am!). But, we can’t deny that Zoom videos and phone calls with friends and family are just not the same as being in person. Feeling isolated from others can be triggering for people who have anxiety and trauma histories. Because, usually those symptoms already make it difficult to connect and engage with others. Social distancing right now is adding to that.

If you’re in New York, you’ve been waiting for Spring to come. Looking forward to warmer weather. Enjoying more sunlight. Even having some fun during Spring Break! Now, you’re not able to enjoy any of it right now because you’re stuck at home. All of this can make your trauma, anxiety, and depression symptoms worse. Also, if you’re home with someone who triggers your anxiety or plays a direct role in your trauma, your symptoms may also be much higher than your norm.

INCREASED HEALTH ANXIETY & WORRY

We’re scared. All of us. Maybe, some more than others. However, it’s natural right now to be worried about exposure to coronavirus or someone we love actually getting it. We’re washing our hands more than usual. Now, being extra mindful of what we touch. Even using gloves and masks if we have to go pick up groceries. Staying far away from people when in public places. And, the list goes on. Whether you struggled with anxiety before the pandemic or not, I’m sure you're noticing an increase in your anxiety now. An increase in anxious thoughts is understandable given our circumstances.

DECREASED WORK AND FINANCIAL SECURITY DURING COVID

Since the pandemic started, many people have gotten laid off. Others have gotten their hours cut. And, businesses -big and small- have been deeply affected. Of course, there is a lot of uncertainty right now. And, with that comes anxiety and fear. There is an even greater concern about financial stability and being able to afford basic necessities. Right now, many people are not going to prioritize their mental wellness. As a mental health counselor, this is particularly concerning. Because, many people who need the support now and for months to come won’t be thinking about this because other needs have to be prioritized.

The list can go on and on about how the COVID 19 pandemic is affecting not just our physical health but our mental health too. Make sure you are taking care of yourself. Practice being kind to yourself. Especially if you notice that your mental health symptoms are worsening.

These are difficult times right now.  You are doing the best you can.

You matter. Your body matters. Your mind matters.

Be safe & Be well.

Dr. G

GET STARTED WITH THERAPY IN NEW YORK

If you live in New York and are interested in getting started with a therapist who specializes in trauma and anxiety, my counseling office is located in the Scarsdale area of Westchester and would love to work with you! To learn more about me and all the counseling services that I offer, explore my therapy website and feel free to send me an email at mguerrero@mindmattersmhc.com.

I want to be sure you are comfortable with this process from start to finish. If you have any insurance and procedural questions after reading this website, I am happy to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation first. To begin counseling in my Westchester counseling office, follow these simple steps:

1. Click the button below to schedule our first session.

2. Meet with me, Dr. Minerva Guerrero, a professional and experienced therapist.

3. Begin to feel more peace and less worry about your life!

MORE THERAPY SERVICES IN WESTCHESTER, NY

In my Scarsdale therapy practice, I try to help each individual as fully as possible. This is why I also provide therapy for teens, therapy for adults, trauma therapy, therapy for anxiety, and specialized techniques such as EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy. I also support anyone in the state of New York through online therapy If you want to explore these options further, let’s connect!

Dare To End Anxiety

Don’t you just hate that feeling of anxiety? That nervous energy in your body that starts off as nothing but can escalate really fast if you let it. Anxiety can appear at any given moment, regardless of whether you’re aware of your anxiety triggers or not. There are several treatments known to be effective for anxiety, like Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). As a trauma and anxiety specialist, I am very familiar with both of these treatments but in this blog post, I provide a brief summary of the DARE approach developed by Barry McDonagh that I think can be very helpful for so many people struggling with anxiety.

There are four steps in the DARE approach.

Step 1: Defuse

Usually, when we feel anxiety, we start to ask ourselves “What if?” questions and it’s really rare that those questions are positive like “What if I get really good news today?” or “What if I get promoted after doing such a great job at my presentation?”. When we’re anxious, we instead ask ourselves “What if I lose my job and have to move back in with my parents?” What if I have a panic attack in front of everyone?” “What if these thoughts never stop and I go crazy?” These are automatic negative thoughts that are completely outside of our control. The best thing we can do when we have anxious negative thoughts is respond to them in the right way, to stop them from spiraling. So the first step is to Defuse. The next time you have a negative “What if?” question try answering with “SO WHAT!” or “OH WELL”.

• “What if I lose my job and have to move back in with my parents?”

  • SO WHAT!

  • Remind yourself that you’re fully capable of finding a new job and living with your parents will just be temporary.

• “What if I have a panic attack in front of everyone?”

  • OH WELL.

  • Someone will help you if you have a panic attack and before you know it, the panic attack will be over.

• “What if these thoughts never stop and I go crazy?”

  • OH WELL.

  • At some point, your mind is going to settle and your thoughts will stop.

Although this first step might seem simplistic, the reality is that even if some of your anxious thoughts are really terrifying for you, being anxious about them isn’t going to make these thoughts disappear. Giving in to your anxious thoughts is just going to make you suffer so much more than you need to.  

Step 2: Allow

Now that you’ve defused your anxious thoughts from spiraling, now you need to accept your anxious feelings and allow them to do whatever they want to do. Sounds crazy right? I know it does because when you’re anxious, you desperately want to keep everything in order to maintain control—letting your anxiety do whatever it wants to do is the complete opposite of what you want to do!

Here’s the deal: The more you fight anxiety, the more it’s going to fight you back- and I hate to tell you but most likely, your anxiety is going to win. Allow your anxiety to be with you. Say hi to it. Befriend it even.

I had an important presentation a few months ago, and my anxiety was through the roof. Right before I walked in, I told my anxiety “Let’s do this!”. I didn’t want my anxiety to be with me, but it was there and it wasn’t going anywhere so I invited it to join me. By the way, my presentation was AMAZING! :)

The more you welcome anxiety, the faster your anxiety will drop.

Step 3: Run Toward

Usually, when we have anxiety, our automatic thoughts are related to fear. What if instead of thinking something bad is going to happen, you tell yourself that something good is about to happen. If you think about it,  feelings associated with fear and feelings associated with excitement are pretty similar. Do those “butterflies in your stomach” ring a bell?

Once you can respond to your anxious feelings as just nervous energy in your body, you’re less likely to view them as a threat. Choose to tell yourself, “I wonder what good things this feeling is preparing me for” or “I’m excited for what’s coming”. This may sound crazy but remember, you’re sending a message to your brain that says “I’m not worried about you.”

Step 4: Engage

So you’ve done steps 1-3, now it’s time to seal the deal to not let your anxious mind try to suck you back into fear. You need to engage in something that will take up your attention. In therapy, we often call this, the use of coping skills. It can be anything. Here are some suggestions: reading a book, exercising, going out with friends, listening to music, or whatever works for you. The key is to do something that will occupy your mind.

To recap, the next time you feel anxiety, remember to DARE

1. Once you become aware that you’re anxious, defuse it immediately but taking a “so what, oh well” mentality.

2. Instead of trying to fight off your anxiety, accept and allow your anxiety to be with you.

3. Change your perspective fearing your anxiety, by telling yourself that you’re excited about what lies ahead. Run toward it!

4. Lastly, engage in an activity that occupies your mind fully.

As a beginner using this approach, you may have to fake it until you make it, meaning it may take some practice to genuinely believe in these steps, but once you do it, you’ll notice the shift.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the DARE approach! What are some of the things you do to help reduce your anxiety?

BEGIN Anxiety THERAPY IN SCARSDALE, NY

Taking time for your mental health is key to overall wellbeing, especially as a teen, young adult or working professional. Let’s get you feeling good so you can keep doing amazing things for the world! To begin counseling in my Westchester counseling office, follow these simple steps:

1. Click the button below to schedule our first session.

2. Meet with me, Dr. Minerva Guerrero, a professional and experienced anxiety therapist.

3. Begin to feel more peace and less worry about your life!

I want all of your questions to be answered the entire way. If you still have insurance and procedural questions after reading this, I am happy to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation first.

MORE THERAPY SERVICES IN WESTCHESTER, NY

In my Scarsdale therapy practice, I try to help each individual as fully as possible. This is why I also provide therapy for teens, therapy for adults, trauma therapy, therapy for anxiety, and specialized techniques such as EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy. If you want to explore these options further, let’s connect!