Trying to soothe someone's anxiety by telling them their thoughts aren't productive, worthwhile, or that they're a waste of time also invalidates their feelings and may even leave them feeling more distressed than before, Egger explains.
First, you may want to start with a simple deep breathing exercise called the 5-5-5 method. To do this, you breathe in for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, and then breathe out for 5 seconds. You can continue this process until your thoughts slow down or you notice some relief.
Whether or not you tell someone about your mental illness is completely your choice. You don't have to tell everyone you know (or anyone at all, for that matter), especially if you don't feel comfortable talking about it.
It's okay for you to not want to tell everyone; it's personal to you and not always something people want to broadcast because it can make you feel vulnerable. But after you talk about how you're feeling and release your emotions it can make you feel so much better, like a weight has been lifted!
If you're concerned about your feelings of anxiety, that's reason enough to talk with your doctor — there's no need to wait. You don't need to have all of the anxiety symptoms to speak up about them, and you shouldn't wait until they worsen, or you develop new ones.
The next time you're near your “oversharing trigger,” become an active listener. Challenge yourself not to say anything about yourself unless directly asked. Instead, engage with what is being said and ask questions based on what others have shared.
It is based on the three "C's" of recovery calm your body, correct your thinking, and confront your fears.
The four levels of anxiety are mild anxiety, moderate anxiety, severe anxiety, and panic level anxiety, each of which is classified by the level of distress and impairment they cause.
If an anxious friend decides to confide in you, show you support them. Validate, rather than minimize, their experience. If you don't have an anxiety disorder, avoid offering advice without listening to your friend. Tell them you're there for them, ask how you can help and listen to what they have to say.
Hot showers can even help reduce stress and anxiety because the heat can stimulate the brain's release of a hormone called oxytocin, which is known to be correlated to anti-stress effects, or relaxation [1].
It involves looking around your environment to identify three objects and three sounds, then moving three body parts. Many people find this strategy helps focus and ground them when anxiety overwhelms them.
Oversharing doesn't create intimacy. Oversharing is self-absorption masked as vulnerability. This may also signal emotional neediness and/or lack of boundaries.
Ask them about their boundaries as well. Let them show you what you can do that is helpful or unhelpful. Show that you can make space. And, in having these conversations, help to spark their recognition that it's important for you both to have boundaries.
If you live with complex trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma dumping or oversharing could be a natural trauma response and coping mechanism.
Feeling nervous, restless or tense. Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom. Having an increased heart rate. Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
feeling tense, nervous or unable to relax. having a sense of dread, or fearing the worst. feeling like the world is speeding up or slowing down. feeling like other people can see you're anxious and are looking at you.
Social anxiety itself often causes a fear of talking. Anxiety may also distract the mind, making it harder to put words together. Tangentially related anxiety fears, such as fear of being judged, often cause fear of talking.
Many people experience anxiety symptoms that cause them more anxiety, and many others find that their thoughts and feelings make them avoid things that would otherwise help improve the way they feel. But the issue that most commonly affects those with anxiety is engaging in things that make anxiety worse.
Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are treatable and a number of effective treatments are available.