Help!!! My Anxiety is SOOO Bad, I don't Know How to Help The Kids!

I saw this phrase, or a least a version of it, come up more than a few times in several of the educator Facebook communities I’m a part of.

From being unmotivated and feeling ambivalent, to being frustrated, anxious and on edge, the general excitement that typically comes with the start of a new school year is noticeably absent from my timeline.

It’s understandable of course.

With the whole world being in the middle of a pandemic, and so many feeling unsafe about heading back to the building, but equally concerned about how extended e-learning will translate for weeks on end, it’s no wonder than people are having uncomfortable feelings. In my coaching, I’ve noted that many teachers, a great deal more than we realize, really struggle with anxiety and stress-induced mental health concerns on a daily basis, but this is being made so much worse by the current state of affairs.

Now I do want to be clear, feeling anxious is NOT the same thing as having a diagnosis or symptoms of anxiety. Fear and anxious feelings are a normal part of the emotional spectrum, experienced by everyone at one time or another, but symptoms of anxiety with or without a diagnosis can be devastating to the person experiencing them.

These symptoms can show up as mildly as pessimistic thoughts or a desire for perfectionism to more significant emotional and behavioral challenges such as hyper-vigilance, irritability, or restlessness, lack of concentration, and racing or unwanted and intrusive thoughts. There can also be physical symptoms like fatigue and restlessness. Typically anxiety is considered an overreaction or irrational fear, but in instances where there is a very real danger or threats to our life or lifestyles it can be almost impossible to distinguish between what is a realistic concern and what is anxiety running out of control.

While being concerned about potential dangers is normal, when anxiety is high enough to interfere with your daily life, it’s time to consider getting professional help. Strategies for managing thoughts and structuring behaviors to support wellness can be achieved by working with a coach or wellness professional and you may also be able to schedule virtual counseling sessions with mental health clinician now and use your medical benefits to address chronic concerns that have been triggered by recent stresses.

Particularly now, when real dangers are present, I always encourage my clients to recognize that they are experiencing a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Living through a pandemic is hard enough, and depending on your own personal challenges it may even be harder for you than most. But teaching during a pandemic is a completely foreign idea. Give yourself some grace and don’t allow anyone to shame you for your feelings, not even yourself.

One of the first keys to getting your anxiety under control is recognizing that you’ve been triggered. It’s critical for getting to a healthy space, because you can’t change what you haven’t identified needs to be changed. What does your body feel like when you’re triggered? Do you bite your nails, shake your leg, hold tension in your neck and shoulders? How about stomach pain? Pay attention to when you are triggered. Can you remind yourself that you are currently safe? Some people find shifting their focus to gratitude helps settle their minds. Others like a mild distraction from something funny or inspirational.

A mindfulness practice like reciting an affirmation or mantra can help too. Are certain times of days or activities more likely to trigger you? Disconnecting from social media or changing up the timing of your activities may help. Maybe you’ve always worked out in the morning, but now you need the decompression of an afternoon or evening run.

Early during the quarantine time, I noticed I would be completely exhausted after grocery shopping in my mask. I knew most of what I was feeling was more likely related to the emotional response I was having to being vigilant about my distance, but I found that planning my shopping time and giving myself room to decompress helped greatly. I even got really friendly with Amazon Prime and used a few drive up services too.

At times, the trigger is less obvious. It isn’t an external event like watching the news or scrolling through social media. In those instances, managing intrusive thoughts can take a little more effort. Journaling is surprisingly effective at helping to identify where thoughts have come from.

Last, but not least, look at how your current lifestyle might be contributing to your anxiety. There are many natural remedies that can be considered to combat the stress and anxiety triggers like clutter and a lack of routine that might be a result of our current circumstances. Something as simple as cleaning the space you’re working from home in can improve mental focus and clarity.

Doing things to feel better can include talking to someone who can help. Click here to schedule a free time for us to chat I’d love to be a part of your solution.