It’s the “new thing” in the world of anxiety, and it’s hitting hard; it’s called “eco-anxiety” or “enviro-angst.” According to Medill Reports at Northwestern University, a growing number of people are turning their lives around to become more environmentally conscious because they are experiencing extreme anxiety about the condition of our planet.

These people sometimes worry about the environment to the point where they have a hard time throwing anything out; they worry about the toxins around them; the world’s water supplies or the emissions from their car. Some worry so much that they go to extreme measures to try to avoid hurting the environment.

Caring about the environment is not a bad thing, and there are a lot of different measures that we all need to implement in order to do our part in keeping the planet in good shape. Excessive worrying and anxiety related to the environment however, is not the same as caring. “Eco-anxiety,” like most other kinds of anxiety is not really about what you might be afraid of. Eco-anxiety is about control, or more specifically lack thereof.

Worrying about something that is outside of your control and thinking that your life is in danger are both classic anxiety symptoms. Just as a lot of people are afraid of someone breaking into their house to hurt them because they hear about this kind of stuff on the news all the time, people are now afraid because they keep hearing more and more about the severe state the environment is in.

I’m not saying the planet is not going through a rough time at the moment, but as more people wake up to what is going on, the trend is gradually turning. There are a lot of things we can all do to help the environment, and we have a responsibility to do them. It is important to keep yourself informed on what you can do to make a difference, but worrying is not one of them.

Rather than watching the new and focusing on what is wrong about the situation, focus on all the little things you can do in your everyday life to help. I you suffer from “eco-anxiety”, chances are it’s not the first time you have experienced anxiety but rather that you just transferred your anxiety from something else you used to worry about. Remember that at the end of the day, you are not helping the environment by feeling anxious. Being informed helps; being scared doesn’t.

JM
www.easycalm.com

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From time to time we all want to stop obsessive thoughts that race through our minds.  The rush of modern life can provide us with so much conflicting information that we simply develop “sensory overload.”

Although this sensory overload happens to all of us occasionally, it only becomes a serious issue when we feel we are unable to “turn it off.”  The following strategies have been proven to stop obsessive thoughts and quiet an anxious mind:

1.  Get Active: most people assume that when they feel stressed and are trying to control obsessive thoughts, the best thing to do is to try to deeply relax both body and mind.  And while this can help in certain situations, an even more effective response to an obsessive mind is to be as active as possible.

Even though it may seem counter-intuitive, being physically active is one of the best ways to stop obsessive thoughts.  A vigorous physical workout is one example of this, but anything that gets you moving your body and working your cardiovascular system can be useful — such as a vigorous walk around the block, or even yoga or stretching exercises.  Remember: when your mind is racing, move your body.

2. Get outside of your Box: human beings are creatures of habit, and we can easily fall into a routine that causes us to obsess or stress about everyday things.  Because of this, one strategy to stop obsessive thoughts is to remove yourself from your daily routine.

The idea is to simply go to a place that you would normally not visit, and do an activity you would normally not do.  For example, try bowling or playing minigolf, or another recreational activity that you would normally not be involved with.  You might also take a long drive in the country or visit friends you haven’t seen in ages. 

Basically, you want to do anything and everything that is outside of your day-to-day “box.”  Shake up your life a bit — if you want to “feel” different, you must “do” something different.  Make sense?

3.  Normally, when we are experiencing excessive thoughts there are one or two particular issues that are bothering us and feel somehow “unresolved.”  Identify the issues in your life that feel unresolved, and then schedule each unresolved issue to be dealt with at a specific time in the future.

For example, if you have an unresolved relationship issue that you are obsessing over, schedule a time next week to consider the issue, and see if it can be resolved then.  If not, schedule it for a later time and try again.  The key here is to be precise in your scheduling — set an exact time of day, but allow yourself only 15-20 minutes to consider each issue.

Studies have shown that if you can not resolve an issue in 15 minutes, your odds of resolving it in 30 minutes or more are statistically zero.  In other words, if a solution does not present itself to you in the first few minutes, the research shows that dwelling on the situation WILL NOT help. Remember, this isn’t just good advice — it is proven scientific research.

Try each of these strategies to stop obsessive thoughts, and you’ll quickly see which is most effective for you.

Jon Mercer

Stop Anxiety and Obsessive Thoughts
 

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