How to Protect Your Family From Your Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling that we have that makes us feel nervous. Some people may feel intense worry, fear, and apprehension. We have evolved to have anxiety because it is a form of protection, protecting us from potentially bad scenarios. However, for some people, their anxiety is too much, and it interferes with their daily lives. Terrible anxiety can affect school and work attendance, and can interfere with having healthy and happy relationships.

Many people with severe anxiety describe it as a feeling of dread and nervousness. Some feel a sense of foreboding, that something bad is going to happen (which never does). It can prove difficult to rid yourself of overwhelming anxiety by yourself. But there are tools that can help lower your levels of anxiety and protect your family from the blunt of it. 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditation is an excellent way to calm someone and release anxious unproductive thought patterns. In stead of ruminating in your misery, Learning mindfulness will help you to relax and gather your healthy thoughts. It's easy to learn mindfulness yourself from YouTube or from one of several apps designed to teach it to you.

It's nice to come up with a special day or special time during the day when you can relax with your family doing something fun. You could go for a walk and small children can collect leaves or rocks. You can look around at trees and flowers. All of these things contribute to your connection with your family and the lowering of your levels of anxiety. Here are some other suggested techniques:

• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Abdominal breathing
• Isometric relaxation exercises

breathing techniques

Learning to breathe from the diaphragm, can be helpful for reducing anxiety. It's a way to take a deeper breath, and to concentrate on your breathing at the same time. You can also teach your children how to breath more deeply to relax.

Cognitive therapy

This type of therapy focuses on changing your manner of thinking about yourself from ruminating about misery into thinking about things that make you happy. It is possible to rid yourself of intrusive thoughts that fill your day, and turn them into thoughts of gratitude and peace. A professional counsellor can help with cognitive behavior therapy, but there is much available online to read about.

If you or someone you know suffers from anxiety, and this is affecting family relationships, we can help.

Kuldip Counselling and Consulting has two convenient locations in Surrey and Langley. They offer counselling services and compassionate therapy in the areas of addictions counselling, and family and marriage counselling.

If you have any questions about this article or would like to schedule an appointment, please call (604) 764-9575.