More Than Deep Breathing: Coping with Anxiety and Finding Peace
Have you seen Inside Out 2 ? I think it does an incredible job of illustrating how anxiety can take over both your mind and body. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it—and be sure to watch the first one too. Honestly, I think these movies should be required viewing for everyone. But I’m not here to give movie recommendations. For me, anxiety shows up in different ways depending on the situation. It’s not always solved by deep breathing, as some people suggest. Don’t get me wrong—deep breathing can help, but it doesn’t fix everything. Anxiety weighs me down, keeps me from relaxing, and leaves me in a constant state of tension. I find myself clenching my teeth or holding my body tight throughout the day, always reminding myself to “relax.” But before I know it, I’m tense again, needing to repeat the process. Physically, anxiety makes me feel like I’m always on edge. My heart races, and I feel like I'm carrying a heavy weight on my chest. I get overstimulated—everything s...