32 - Creating Your Anxiety-Free Life

Host: Dr. Tara Egan
Co-host: Anna, teen daughter

Tara and  Anna ( teen co-host & daughter) team up once again revisiting the topic of anxiety. This is such an important topic, that they plan on discussing it regularly and come at it from different perspectives each time.

We can define anxiety as a persistent and uncontrollable worry, dread, or apprehension. The anxiety can be caused by an event, but doesn't need to be  to linked to an event at all.  Some times our brain can get into panic mode pretty quickly due to a chemical imbalance, or genetics. It can be really stressful either way that the feelings come into being.

Tara shared with us an illustration that she uses with her clients, about  finding the sweet spot.

Anna tells us how she can relate it to test taking and how you need to find the sweet spot in your study behaviors. Tara relates it to public speaking for her and how successful the speaking event is or not.

Listen in to hear us discuss:

What anxiety look like in your body:
-Physical -sweating, not sleeping well, tense, tingling in hands and feet, dizzy
-Emotional - overwhelm - avoidance waste time watching tv, distracting yourself, irritability
-Mental - difficulty focusing, racing thoughts

How anxiety impacts your quality life and wellbeing:
For parents in can show up in your work life by being unsure about leaderships roles, struggling with decisions, not being able to get through tasks easily.

How it impacts your relationships:
- Less present -attention to kids and family goes down
- Start turning down plans for all kids of reasons, avoid making plans
- Intimacy with partner is decreases

Strategies for managing anxiety:
- Sleep - prioritizing it, making sure the environment is conducive to sleep, having a bedtime routine.
- Social Media - not comparing yourself to others , don't look at it before bed, view sources accurate and truthful not inundating  yourself with false information.
- Flow - having complete immersion in an activity and fully absorbed that you do not notice time passing. Goal is to have it be something you really enjoy.
- Exercise - any type will help reduce stress, but most beneficial when it is something you enjoy.
- Connecting - pets, friends and family, nature.
-Self care can be about talking a walk or getting a massage, but sometimes it really can be just getting shit done!

How do you know when you need to get help for your anxiety?
 -When you feel you want to talk to someone about it.
 - You are having a hard time enjoying things at one point you found enjoyable.
 - Feeling like you are hiding your true self around those close to you.
 - History of anxiety, misusing substances, depression or mood disorder.

Remember that some anxiety is normal, especially around something stressful , however if that anxiety lingers after the event has past or you have high anxiety over low stress events and that you could use support, then reach out to your doctor, psychiatrist, counselor, or even a close friend.

To learn more about Dr. Tara Egan's child & adolescent therapy services, visit HERE.
To join our private FB group for parents of high schoolers and soon-to-be high schoolers, visit HERE.
To join us on Instagram, visit HERE.

This episode is sponsored by Moe's Southwest Grill. Order a family taco kit for $34.99 and make family dinner fun.