5 Easy Ways to Manage Anxiety

5 Easy Ways to Manage Anxiety

by | Counseling for Adults, Counseling for Teens

WRITTEN BY: KIMBERLY ALANIZ, LCSW-S

Do you feel like getting your anxiety under control seems too hard? Below are 5 easy things you can do today to get you anxiety under control– and each just take few minutes.

1.Step away from the caffeine

 Although coffee affects each person differently, it may not be the best choice if you struggle with anxiety. Coffee is a powerful stimulant that mimics natural functions in you body that happen when we are anxious and your body /mind may not be able to tell the difference. You may feel your heart rate increase, take shorter breaths or even a rise in temperature. Mentally, you may even feel restless, stressed or nervous.  Swapping your morning coffee for warm tea or hot cocoa may help reduce anxiety without abandoning the warm, calming routine.

2. Spend some time in nature

Evaluate what your average day looks like. Where and how do you normally spend your time? If the answer is indoors and in front of a screen it may be time to get outside. Spending time in nature could improve both your physical and emotional healthy.  Physically, time outdoors lowers blood pressure, releases muscle tension and decreases the creation of stress hormones. Activities like enjoying the evening on your front porch or hiking a trail could help calm the body and mind. In fact, research shows even viewing scenic images of nature can have similar effects.

3. Focus on your breathing

Deep breathing exercises can help create links between both sympathetic (kick starts fight or flight) and parasympathetic (influences relaxation) nervous systems. When you take a long, deep breath in, your sympathetic nervous system increases things like your heart rate and blood pressure. As you elongate the exhale, your body begins slow the heart and loosen tense muscles.

 Try this breathing exercise and enjoy the benefits!

*Box breathing- Sit in a comfortable, quite spot with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Draw your attention to your breath. Drag the tip of your finger along your leg to “draw” each side of a box using the following breaths as a guide. Exhale, inhale (count to 4 in your mind), hold your breath for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts. Repeat at least 4 times.

4.Grounding

Grounding is a practice that allows a person to refocus and redirect nervous thoughts, flashbacks or uncomfortable emotions to the present time and behaviors.  Here are two grounding activities to try.

*Place your hand underneath a running tap of warm water. Focus on the temperature and pressure of the water as it hits parts of your hand. Listen closely to the sounds of the running water. How do the sensations differ from your fingertips, palm and the back of your hand? Now try this with cold water and then alternate between the two.

*5-4-3-2-1

Counting backwards from five, focusing on your five senses, interact physically or list things around you.

5 things you can see

4 things you can touch

3 things you can hear

2 things you can smell

1 thing you can taste

5. Exercise

Even though we may not always enjoy exercise, we almost never regret how we feel after. This is more than likely because of the endorphins released in our body after activity. No need to run to the gym. Things like a brisk walk with your pet, dancing in your kitchen as you cook dinner or riding your bike are all great alternatives to a gym membership.

If you begin to feel discouraged because it seems like everything you try doesn’t work, you’re not alone. Don’t feel as though you have to work through this silently. We are here to help you get your anxiety under control- reach out to us to schedule an appointment within a week.

Trauma and How it Affects People

Trauma and How it Affects People

by | Counseling for Adults, Counseling for Children, Counseling for Teens

Ever hear people throwing around the word “trauma” or “traumatic” and wonder what that is. This article will give you a better understanding of what trauma is and how it impacts people in the long and short run.

There are some who have gone through traumatic experiences and assume everyone goes through things like that. So for many years, they don’t realize they have gone through trauma at all. 

Trauma is the exposure to seriously stressful and often life threatening situations. Many people who have experienced trauma have an overwhelming thought that something is very, very, wrong but have no ability, capacity, or understanding of how to stop it.

During the traumatic experience, the body’s internal response kicks off (sympathetic nervous system). Their brain becomes hyper focused to sensory level things like sights, sounds, smells, or sensations. Some who have gone through trauma remember fine details like the color of clothes they were wearing, the sounds that were around, and the smell of where they were. On the other hand, some completely shut down these experiences and have a hard time remembering anything at all.

Symptoms of trauma can leave a person feeling disconnected from others, easily irritable, emotional, hot tempered, withdrawn, distrusting, hopeless and even shameful. Some experience behavior like having a hard time sleeping, increased or decreased appetite, nightmares, avoiding certain places, situations or people.

While none of the above is helpful, these reactions are completely NORMAL to an abnormal experience. If anything in this article sounds like you, you’re not alone.

La Luz Counseling specializes in helping people who have gone through traumatic experiences in a slow and gentle way. It can be scary to look back to these moments when you’re alone and left to your own thoughts. Remember, the mind can be a dangerous neighborhood to be in alone– so at La Luz we promise to go with you back to and through these tough times. 

5 Ways to Know if your Stress is actually Anxiety

5 Ways to Know if your Stress is actually Anxiety

by | Counseling for Adults, Counseling for Teens

Everyone experiences stress and worry from time to time. The difference between feeling stressed versus having clinical anxiety is very specific. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for if you’re wondering if your worry is becoming a problem.

Feeling anxious can stem from stressful situations so mix kids, marriage, traffic, COVID-19, and BAM! You’ve got stress. Anxiety, however, is different. It’s a mindset that isn’t a feeling. It comes when we don’t want it and keeps us from being able to stay present in the moment. Here are a few ways to know if you worried feelings may be turning into anxiety.

  • You’ve tried tons of different things to control the worry but nothing seems to help. You’ve read different articles and blogs and tried all of the different tips you’ve heard from others. Still nothing seems to be working? Anxiety is a constant and pervasive experience. It happens with the largest and smallest of things. It often plagues your day-to-day mind, making it hard to concentrate on anything other than what you’re worried about. If you’ve tried different things and nothing seems to be working, this may be a sign to get extra help.
  • Your day-to-day routine is suffering. You find yourself avoiding certain places in an effort to avoid the anxiety. Others have noticed you’re starting to become MIA more often and are worried about you. Things you used to be able to enjoy aren’t fun anymore and you don’t feel like yourself.
  • Your eating and sleeping patterns are unstable. Eating and sleeping are part of our basic needs- we need these to survive. With preoccupations of the mind, your body may respond too. There are times anxiety will make you miss meals without realizing it, or seek different comfort foods to try and cope. You may find yourself getting restless at night despite being really tired. The mind has a hard time just “shutting off” which makes for late nights trying to get to sleep. Just remember, unintentional disruptions of eating or sleeping patterns are never good.
  • Other people notice. Despite your best attempts to keep things under control and away from the social eye, those around you are noticing. They see you getting anxious more often and might say you seem “different “or “off.” Remember a lot of times those around us who love us and spend a lot of time with us can notice these things before we do. If someone is noticing it, it may be worth seeking extra help.
  • Anxiety attacks. A lot of times with anxiety, comes panic which can create panic or anxiety attacks. Shortness of breath, feeling as though you will pass out, rapid heart rate, sweatiness, feeling out of control, feeling chills or really hot? This may be your body’s response to feeling emotionally and mentally dysregulated. You don’t feel calm and steady emotionally so your body is “off” too.

If you have experienced, or are experiencing, any of the above, don’t hesitate to reach out for extra support. You don’t need to have all of the criteria in order to be in counseling or get help from a doctor. Although you may not have clinical anxiety, if this article sounds like you, it’s clear you’re feeling stressed or anxious about something. Don’t wait until problems get worse. Keep your health as number one, and when in doubt ask. Here are a few tips to managing anxiety.

Send us a message if you’re not sure what else to do. We guarantee a response within 12 hours, including evenings, holidays, and weekends.

4 Questions to Answer BEFORE Starting Counseling

4 Questions to Answer BEFORE Starting Counseling

by | Counseling for Adults, Counseling for Children, Counseling for Teens

So you’ve decided it’s time to get counseling, but you’re not sure where to start?

Here are the 4 questions you must answer before choosing a counselor:

  1. Will I use my insurance or go the private pay route?
  2. What is the problem I’m facing?
  3. What are their office hours?
  4. How quickly do I want to start?

INSURANCE OR PRIVATE PAY?

 If you want to use your insurance, call the member services line on the back of your insurance card and ask them to send you a list of “MENTAL HEALTH/BEHAVIORAL HEALTH providers” in your network. From this list, do your research online and see if you can find a good match.

Contrary to what some may think, not every counselor takes your insurance. 

Be sure to call your insurance to see if they will cover counseling sessions [like phone or virtual counseling, couples counseling or group counseling]. 

If you are using the private pay, take a look at your finances. Many private pay counseling sessions can run you anywhere between $90-$160 per one-hour session. There are, however, other options such as sliding scale fees, hardship options, or lowered rates with clinicians. 

PRESENTING PROBLEM

If you had to sum up the problem you’re facing in 1 to 3 words, what would it be? Anxiety? Family problems? Marital issues? Child’s behavior? Whatever it is, try to narrow it down. Don’t diagnose yourself, but gain an idea so you can explain it to the person on the other end of the line. It’s important your counselor has experience with your issue. Counselors have specialties or niches; so again, contrary to what you may think, not every counselor has experience or works with your presenting problem. 

Also VERY important, if the person needing counseling is a child (under 18), specifically ask if the counselor has experience working with their age group (preschoolers/elementary aged/tweens/teens).

OFFICE HOURS

Counseling can be hard enough, don’t make things more complicated by having someone whose office location or hours are inconvenient for your life situation. If you live in a large city, there are actually more counselors than you may think. Check into different office locations, hours and days open during the week and make sure it compliments your life schedule. If needed, ask about virtual counseling as this could also help take the hassle out of a weekly drive to an appointment.

WAIT TIME?

Lastly, and perhaps most important, how quick is their turnaround time? How long will it take to set up an initial appointment? Some counselors have availability to see a new client asap, others have a wait list and some aren’t taking new clients at all. This is a tough trade off because some counselors are worth the wait. However, if you’re issue is urgent and pressing, the sooner the better.

We hope this list helps! Honestly, finding a counselor who matches with you might take some time. It is often one of the reasons most choose NOT to begin counseling because the process can be tough to start. Don’t lost heart. Now is the time to get help. Don’t interpret any potential obstacles in getting a counselor as some type of sign from the cosmos because it’s not!! Get help now.

Happy hunting!

 

Barely Adjusting or Well Adjusted?

Barely Adjusting or Well Adjusted?

by | Counseling for Adults, Counseling for Teens

SlotogateDoes staying at home make you feel like your mind is going a little crazy? Have you noticed how many people seem to be adjusting, baking, crafting, completed DIY projects and being stellar home school teachers? Do you feel the exact opposite?

You’re not alone. Over the course of this pandemic, people and communities nationwide have felt the implications of “adjusting” at home. I have heard story after story of their so-called adjustment, or lack thereof. While some are sharing how their increased time at home has been a “blessing to spend more time with family” others have secretly cried and wondered if something must be “wrong” if all they wish for is to “escape” their family for only 20 minutes.

Don’t be alarmed. Many are wondering when the whole “adjusting” will kick in instead of barely making it through each day. The reality is we don’t know the answer to that. What we do know, is adjustment takes time, consistency and applying some source of routine for emotions and thoughts to begin to chill out.

Think about an elementary aged kiddo who goes to school. There is a start and end time to school, he/she hypothetically has the same teacher, is in the same class, with the same general schedule, with the same kids, and eating lunch at the same time. Why? Because people, not just children, do well with routine, structure and predictability.

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So let’s think about that, why have the effects of COVID 19 been so hard to adjust to? No predictability, not enough time since initial impact, and lack of structure or routine.

How to begin adjusting:

  • Create structure as best you can. Wake up at the same time each day, eat meals around the same time, brush your teeth, change your clothes, and develop a bedtime routine for all in the family.
  • Give it time. Yes, time. Natural adjustments take months, and contrary to popular belief, you aren’t creating a habit at 28 days or even 40.
  • Focus only on things you can control. There are three things and three things only you have ANY control over – your thoughts, your feelings and your actions.
  • Social connection– find others you can facetime with, look into support groups to join virtually, call people you haven’t in awhile, wave to your neighbors.
  • Go outside. Change your scenery and get back in touch with nature. Stretch your legs and go for a walk, drink your coffee on your balcony. Even a few minutes goes a long way.
  • Social media detox. Look at the total amount of time spent on social media per week. Imagine that amount of hours invested into something else… (mind blowing)
  • Silence your mind. Don’t fill your mind with too many thoughts at one time. Try and focus only on the things that are unfolding to you in this moment. Engage all of your senses and demand of your mind to stay here. No thinking of the past or future, just the now.

Whether you’re rocking a sparkling clean home, a pinterest-looking office and thinking about a future as a school teacher, or wearing yoga pants, sneaking out during the day to “water the grass” to have a moment of silence, or counting down the moments until things go back to “normal”- you’re not the only one. This goes out to the well-adjusted and barely adjusting, you’re not alone. Hang in there champ.

What is this Telehealth Business?

What is this Telehealth Business?

by | Counseling for Adults, Counseling for Teens

What is Telehealth Counseling?

Telehealth has been called “distance counseling,” “telecounseling,” “virtual counseling,” “online therapy” and the like. We’re all talking about the same thing- counseling that happens virtually through a tech device. The American Counseling Association defines it as the following:

“Telebehavioral health, or distance counseling, is the use of a digital platform that provides secure, encrypted, audio-video conferencing to communicate with a client in real time.”

Since the arrival of the global pandemic we call COVID-19, you have probably seen more and more people transfer services to digital or virtual mediums. Counseling is no different. But lucky for us, telehealth counseling services have been around for decades (check out more about that on the International Conference on Computer Communications).

The Benefits of Telehealth Counseling

  • Convenience– You can have counseling from your house, office or even car (not moving of course!)- all in the comfort of gym shorts.
  • Saving time– You don’t have to drive to your counselor’s office, get stuck in traffic, or have to wait three lights to get through that busy intersection. Some even have their session during their lunch hour… not that I recommend that.
  • You’ve already got what you need– No need to purchase any new or fancy equipment. Chances are you already have a cellphone, computer or ipad- any of these will do.
  • Validity– Telehealth counseling with a professional is legit. Not only has it been around awhile but there are ethics and rights that protect you. Only secure platforms are used and privacy is still a priority.
  • Continuity of care– There is less chance of breaking the momentum of counseling. Car problems? Sick kiddo at home? Out of town conference? Counseling can still take place.

The Disadvantages of Telehealth Counseling

  • Bad connection– Although you’re connected virtually, you’re obviously disconnected physically. It can be hard to read nonverbal communication and sometimes slow internet speed can make things choppy. Boo.
  • Too “new school”– Technology can bring people together to communicate. While it has its perks, some feel it “gets in the way” of human connection. We get it- it can be kinda weird staring at a computer screen.
  • Issues with technology– “Can you hear me now?” “Can you see me?” “Can you repeat that?” “Your face is frozen.” “Let’s hang up and try again.” Potential phrases you or your counselor could say.

La Luz’s Stance on Telehealth

Telehealth isn’t our first option, but we’re glad it’s an option at all. Through the use of technology, we remained connected with clients despite global pandemics, unexpected family situations, and times kids throw up in the car on the way to school. It has helped to bring people together and has helped to provide hope and emotional support through technology, even when things seem bleak. Thank you Mr. Technology, we’re glad you’re here.