What I really think about anxiety "hacks"
Feb 23, 2024
I’ve seen a lot of therapists, counselors, people personally dealing with mental health issues and mental health advocates on social media sharing tricks and hacks for getting rid of anxiety.
Does that ACTUALLY help anyone? Do these “tricks” work?
The answer is Yes AND No.
When it comes to anxiety. It’s important to have strategies that will soothe your nervous system quickly. Something you can do to stop a panic attack and bring you back to the present moment. A lot of what is shared on social media is just that. And they can be really helpful. In fact, one of my favorite strategies to share is 5/10 breathing. Our parasympathetic nervous system is directly connected to our exhale. When we lengthen our exhale, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system which helps us feel more calm. It’s a “hack” you can do anywhere and it will make a difference.
But here’s the thing. If you’re ONLY focusing on these types of “hacks”, you’re only being reactive to your anxiety. You aren’t REALLY doing the work to prevent anxiety in the first place.
In a way, it’s like deciding to take diabetes medicine and just keep eating cake and candy. Sure, the medicine works but it isn’t going to give you the deeper long term benefits.
With anxiety, there are 3 main causes: Mind, Body, Gut. If you want true, lasting peace…there’s no way around it. You’ve got to do the work and you need ALL 3 components. The hacks are not the proactive strategies you need for lowering your baseline levels of anxiety to experience peace on a regular basis.
For most people, doing the work for long lasting benefits isn’t accessible until they have a way to stop the overwhelming anxiety in the moment. So, YES and NO. Yes, you need the strategies that are going to bring you quick wins. AND you need the practices that are going to give you the deeper, long-lasting and preventative results that you TRULY desire.
Anxiety Detox has both the “hacks” and the deeper practices you need for long-term success. If you’ve considered joining but haven’t yet, now is your time. Click here to check it out!
You deserve the joy and peace you desire! I’m cheering you on!