When it comes to managing fear, a deep, calming breath can make a big difference
ALLEN (CBSNewsTexas.com) – As we grapple with yet another mass shooting in this country, many people have become understandably worried when it comes to their safety – especially since this happened in our own backyard.
But as we have discovered, there are varying degrees of worry.
A medical health expert has some tips to help you keep worry at a healthful level.
When mass shootings happen, it can seem that no place is safe anymore. Schools, churches, grocery stores, concerts – they've all been targets for shooters in recent years.
Mental health experts say it's understandable to be concerned, but letting worry turn into unnecessary anxiety – and then full-on fear – is when it can become a problem.
"A little bit of worry helps us do well. It helps us show up to work, it helps us study for the exam, it helps us make good decisions as parents, but if we let it run, we'll end up isolated, disengaged, and not living a meaningful life, and then we will physically and psychologically suffer," says Dr. Kevin Gilliland, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist in Dallas.
Gilliland says after events like the one in Allen – even people completely removed from the tragedy can go from a healthful state of situational awareness in their own lives to feeling anxiety and fear almost everywhere.
"If you think about when you've almost had a car wreck and you've avoided it, we all have that same (exhales)… We just feel like the bottom drops out physically. That's what we're risking when we accidentally trigger that fearfulness in multiple locations and situations," says Gilliland.
He says not managing that constant "fight or flight" fear response is exhausting to our bodies, and our bodies will start to break down.
But he says there are some ways try to regain control, and it starts with a deep, calming breath.
"We all know fight or flight," says Gilliland. "Well, what's the opposite of that, that slows us down? It's called "rest and digest." And so, when you take that big breath, that automatically slows our body because it gets our best thinking back online."
He says as horrible as these events are, they really are low frequency events. Here are four easy steps to help you avoid a life of unnecessary, crippling fear:
- Ask yourself if what you're feeling really matches the current situation.
- Be careful of how much information you're consuming on-air, online, and on social media. If you're over-consuming, you may be accidentally increasing your own anxiety.
- Stay connected to a healthy, emotionally uplifting community to help pull you out of avoidance and isolation.
- And don't be afraid to talk with a counselor who can help coach you through those emotions.