How to Keep Anxiety & Stress From Flipping Your Lid | Cedar Rapids Counseling Center

Anxiety and stress are some of the most common problems that enter through my therapy doors. This year has been no exception.

Between adjusting to life in a pandemic to natural disasters, stress and anxiety are very present. The “best” part of these two problems is that they affect everyone differently, making it tricky to combat them at times.

Throughout this year, I have noticed that parents and children/adolescents are particularly vulnerable to stress and anxiety. So what can you do when it seems inevitable at this point?

Gain Understanding

I think it is essential to understand what anxiety and stress can do to your body. Drs. Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson lay this out nicely in their book “The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind.” They note that increased stress and anxiety can increase heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. It also affects our abilities to think and make judgments.

In their book, they state that having these problems is like “flipping your lid,” meaning that instead of thinking with the parts of the brain that control rational thinking, you are left with the more primitive parts that are in charge of making you feel big emotions and act on instinct.

Strategies To Overcome Anxiety

Now that we have a better understanding of it, what can you do to decrease these two issues?

1. Know that these are normal things that people face every day.
2. Make sure that you understand your limits (knowing when to take a break); burnout is real for both parents and children/adolescents.
3. Self-care!! I cannot express this concept enough. Make sure that you are doing things that increase your overall life satisfaction and well-being levels. It doesn’t have to be anything too much, but merely taking the time to listen to your body can be extremely helpful. Below, I have included some great apps that can be utilized to help!
4. Talk to someone! My job as a therapist is to listen and understand. If anxiety and stress are being persistent and driving you up a wall, talk with a mental health professional. We are here as a resource for you!

Anxiety and Stress Apps free

• Brain.Fm- free
• Pacifica- free
• Worry Watch- $2.99
• Mood Path- free
• Talklife- free
• What’s Up- free
• SuperBetter- free
• Rootd- free
• Sleeptime- free
• Relax & Rest Guided Meditations- $1.99
• Calm- free