The few weeks since spring has become official have passed. Yet, anxiety symptoms and the sense of “what’s next” can certainly overwhelm us. Isn’t this when life is supposed to smooth out and get better as we anticipate summer? This is not always the case.  Anxiety can be as subtle as a gentle buzz in the background, or a frenetic chaotic storm that feels like it will never subside. 

You are not alone when dealing with Anxiety Symptoms. 

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, over 40 million adults experience an anxiety disorder each year.  The World Health Organization research indicates that 1 in 13 people experience anxiety. Again, you are not alone.

Saying thank you for anxiety?

Have you ever considered thanking your body for anxiety? WHAT? Are you kidding? As a therapist in Bozeman, MT I want you to consider this.  Anxiety is our body’s physiological response to a threat to tell us something is not right. 

In other words, it’s our body’s way to PROTECT us and that is a good thing.  Anxiety sets the stage for flight, fight or freeze in our autonomic nervous system which very often keeps us safe from danger.

Flight Response

For example, we are crossing a street and a car moves too quickly around the corner and our body responds by running to get across the street quicker. THANK you, body! 

Fight Response

On the other hand, someone might get too close to you at the train station, and you sense something is wrong. You push them away as they try to steal your wallet and you yell out.  This fight response helps to keep you safe. 

Freeze Response

Maybe you are on a trail hiking, as I often do, and you hear a sound and freeze up and don’t move while your body checks out what the noise is.  You realize it’s just a stick, it’s not a snake!  Whew. Your nervous system them settles down to parasympathetic and off you go hiking down the trail.   

Make sense of your anxiety in Bozeman, MT.

Anxiety is supposed to be our body's response when trying to keep us safe. So we shouldn’t be constantly dealing with anxiety symptoms, right? However, for many of us, this response to anxiety is working overtime.  Either we have a sense of being stuck on a fight, flight, or freeze response, or we fluctuate between all three and wonder if this can change. Yes, it can!

We can befriend our anxiety and learn to sense what it feels like in our nervous system. Is it buzzy, tingly, tight, bubbly, something else?  Do you get an image of an electric storm when you close your eyes? Does your body just want to run until it is completely spent? 

Testing & Connecting with Your anxiety

As therapists we understand what goes up, must then come down. Consider one simple thing, it is the same for our nervous system. What goes up must come down.  Try jumping up and down and wiggling around in your body for a minute or two.  Then pause. Notice what changes in your body. How your system felt activated, buzzy, with your heart beating harder. Then, a deeper breath. Belly opens a little, eyes change focus, and you feel yourself settle a bit. 

This is how we learn to recognize and befriend our anxiety. What goes up in our system does come down. Even if just for a bit.  As we notice these subtle changes and learn to work with changing the patterns that are working overtime in our bodies, we begin to recognize that our nervous system can shift and can feel just a bit better. 

Give your nervous system a break.

Taking what I call “nervous system breaks” throughout the day to tune into my nervous system and give it time to shift has been a way to shift patterns that I have lived with for many years. The cost of doing business on our nervous systems over time is more than we realize.  The hope is we can change that!  

Final Thoughts about Mental Health in Bozeman

In closing, I will provide the link to a podcast from The Trauma Therapist interview of Abi Blakeslee, PhD. by Guy MacPherson, PhD. called “The Way of Somatic Experiencing.” Which can help you understand and begin to work with tuning into your nervous system to work with the anxiety you may be experiencing. Abi gives ideas and tools to help notice and allow spaces for shifting away from your anxiety in your day-to-day life.  Also included is the SCOPE chart from Somatic Experiencing International (SEI) to give some concrete ways to help you on your daily journey.  

Ready to start anxiety counseling in Bozeman, MT?

At Bridger Peaks Counseling we are dedicated to supporting you through anxiety counseling in Bozeman, MT. Our Bozeman counselors understand and can help you give your nervous system a break. Contact us to get started with anxiety treatment.

Interested in what we offer for Mental Health in Bozeman?

At Bridger Peaks Counseling in Bozeman, MT we offer many types of mental health services. Some of the individual services we provide include addiction counseling, anxiety counseling, grief counseling, body image therapy, depression counseling, trauma counseling, and EMDR therapy. Are you a new mom struggling with your mental health? Postpartum depression counseling might be the right answer for you. Needing help strengthening and setting boundaries in your relationship? Then our therapists might suggest couples counseling. Our services are not just for adults. We also provide counseling for teens. If one of these services sounds like exactly what you need then great! Contact us and let us know. If you aren’t quite sure then our dedicated counselors will help you decide what the best fit will be. All of these services are offered through online therapy in Montana.