Tag: stress

My Coronavirus Sanity Guide

lcwahlstrom

I’m a little late to the game on writing this blog because, frankly, I’m right there with everyone else figuring out how to cope with the rapidly changing situation we are facing right now. I have had to face head-on that a number of recommendations I usually give clients to manage their mood/anxiety (i.e., get out of your house and spend time with people!) are not feasible, safe, or even legal right now. In today’s blog I’m going to take a different approach – I will highlight the ways in which my family and I have been coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Exercise.

I wrote a blog last April about the profound and robust impact exercise has on us. It is more important now than ever. Even though gyms and group fitness is closed right now, there are other options. Any free morning I have, I put my son in the jogging stroller and we head out on a run in the neighborhood. He enjoys the ride and scenery, and I get an extra challenging workout pushing him up the hills. We are also mixing it up with short bodyweight HIIT workouts and yoga at home. There are a number of free resources available right now!

Maintain a schedule, but be flexible.

Structure is essential in managing mood, anxiety, and stress. But let’s be honest, it’s pretty tough to do right now. My husband and I have continued to maintain our pre-coronavirus sleep schedule, as well as morning and night routines. We have also tried to keep our little guy on his preschool schedule as best we can. Children thrive on repetition and routine, so if he is happy and well rested, it’s good for all of us. It also allows us to work and keep up with (sort of!) household chores.

Practice mindfulness.

Have you heard of mindfulness? The godfather of mindfulness in the psychology world, Jon Kabat-Zinn, defines it as “paying attention to something, in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” In other words, be present and don’t get caught up in judging what is going on. Again, in a time when we are limited in terms of what we can do, we always have the ability to be present. Ten percent happier, an awesome mindfulness app I recommend to almost all of my clients, has published a Coronavirus Sanity Guide full of great talks and a few guided meditations. I have been doing the basic relaxation exercise daily to manage stress. Or, if I’m feeling particularly wired at night, I go through one of the guided sleep meditations in the app before bed.

Watch your drinking.

Texans are drinking the most alcohol right now. This fact has been humorous (and a source of pride!) to many folks I am seeing, but drinking more can easily be a slippery slope. It also contributes to poorer sleep, and worsened anxiety and depression. I enjoy wine, but have also kept rules and boundaries in place for drinking during this time. We are continuing to have alcohol-free days. And, on days we do decide to imbibe, I’m limiting it to 2.

If you find you are struggling with this, I suggest waiting until later in the evening to drink. The later you wait, the less you will likely drink. I also suggest that during your grocery store runs pick up non-alcoholic beverage options. Water is great and healthy, but gets boring after a while. You’re also more likely to follow through on an alcohol-free day if you can drink something that feels like a treat. If you are really struggling with drinking, or working hard to maintain sobriety, AA is offering online meetings.

Stay in touch with family and friends.

Everyone is in the same boat right now and craving human connection. Even though we need to be social distancing, it doesn’t mean you have to be out of contact with friends, family, and colleagues. We have been making a point to FaceTime with family and friends almost daily, and have plans to set up a Zoom dinner party here soon!

Set realistic expectations for yourself.

You are not going to be able to be the employee, spouse, parent, friend, etc. that you are under normal circumstances. That is ok. Keep reminding yourself that you are doing a great job. If you are struggling with that, talk it through with a family member, friend, or mental health professional – I guarantee they will help you see that! Another great resource for changing unhelpful thinking patterns is Mind over Mood, a cognitive restructuring workbook.

I’m continuing to provide therapy during the coronavirus pandemic, both in-person and via video. Please reach out to me by phone at 512-521-1531 or email at laura@drlaurawahlstrom.com if you would like to set up a free phone consultation.

A Simple, Yet Not-Always-Easy, Solution to Reducing Depression and Anxiety

lcwahlstrom

Summer is right around the corner, which can be a stressful time for many. Maybe you have kids who will be out of school, which means your home will be noisier and days will be busier. Maybe you have a busy social calendar filled with trips, weddings, and barbecues. Maybe you are dreading the triple-digit Texas temperatures and having to spend more time inside.

During times of stress, healthy habits tend to fall to the wayside. Same is true if we find ourselves increasingly struggling with depression or anxiety. We do things that we think are helping us (i.e., sleeping more, eating more high carb/fat foods, drinking alcohol), and do less of things that actually help us.

Exercise is a powerful, but often overlooked, tool in managing these issues. Research indicates that an exercise regimen is as effective at treating depression as anti-depressant medication. Even better? The effects are immediate – most people feel the mood-boosting effects about 5 minutes after completing their exercise.

The mechanisms whereby exercise improves your mood is two-fold. When you exercise, physiological changes occur in your body that have a direct impact on your mood. Endorphins (natural painkillers) and serotonin (a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in happiness and wellbeing), increase, and stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) decrease. Exercise also contributes to improved sleep, which we know plays a key role in both depression and anxiety.

Psychologically, exercise contributes to a feeling of accomplishment (“yay! I did something today besides watch Netflix!”), increases self-efficacy (“when I feel bad I can do something to change it!”), improves healthy coping skills (“wow, a quick run makes me feel a lot better than a couple glasses of wine!”). For those that suffer from anxiety, which is usually marked by a lot of physical symptoms, exercise induces a lot of the feared physical symptoms (heart racing, sweating). The repeated experiencing of these physical symptoms helps you to become less afraid of them and attach new, more helpful, meaning to them.

However, exercise is simple in terms of concept, but not always easy to execute. To overcome this, I have a few suggestions. First, keep in mind the law of inertia. It is far more difficult to get something moving than it is to keep it moving. Try to get started on your new exercise regimen on a day and time that you are feeling most motivated or energized, for example, on Saturday morning after a cup of coffee. From there, set reasonable goals and be consistent. You are not going to be able to run at the same pace you did as a high schooler in cross country if you haven’t gone out for a run in years. Any exercise is progress and movement in the right direction! Also, keep in mind you are not always going to feel like exercising. And, the good news is, you don’t have to in order to do it! Keep a journal and write down the positive effects you feel after you exercise, and revisit those entries when you need some extra motivation. Lastly, be kind to yourself and expect that it isn’t going to go perfectly. You may miss a workout, or fall back into old habits. Acknowledge that this has happened, and resume your routine.

If you live in the Austin area and feel like you would benefit from support and guidance on managing depression or anxiety, please reach out to me via telephone at 512-521-1531 or email me at laura@drlaurawahlstrom.com to discuss your situation and see if I may be a good fit to help.

The Power of Breath

lcwahlstrom

Not long ago I was watching the Today Show, and the topic was how to live a longer and healthier life. One of the segments was focused on deep breathing and how researchers believe may play a key role in slowing the aging process. Deep breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing (more on that shortly), is one of my go-to skills I teach my therapy clients. Why? It is highly effective, and can be used anywhere, at any time. And, now I may be able to add to that list it helps you live longer!

Our typical breathing tends to be shallow and happens in our chest. When we experience anxiety or stress, our breathing tends to become even more shallow and rapid, and can set off a downward spiral of physical symptoms, thoughts, and behaviors. Hyperventilation (i.e., an imbalance of our oxygen and carbon dioxide levels) may set in, which leads to feeling dizzy or lightheaded, which leads to thoughts that something is wrong with you, which leads to more rapid breathing, which leads to…

You get the idea, right?

One of the keys to stopping this cycle is to change your breathing. This is where diaphragmatic breathing (also known as deep breathing and belly breathing) comes into play. Instead of taking rapid, shallow breaths from your chest, you take slow, deep breaths from your belly. This encourages full oxygen exchange, slows your heartbeat, and lowers blood pressure. All of those scary physical symptoms that are signaling to you “something is wrong with me!” have been thwarted.

What if you don’t struggle with anxiety – can diaphragmatic breathing help you? Absolutely! For those who deal with day-to-day stress, have difficulties, winding down, difficulties sleeping, trouble “shutting your brain off” at the end of the day, diaphragmatic breathing can help you relax.

Diaphragmatic Breathing Instructions:

To start, find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down. Place one hand on your belly, and begin taking a slow, deep breath in. You should feel your chest expand, and your belly rise. Then, slowly expel the air from your chest. Continue breathing this way, counting as you breathe in and out. Each person is unique, so the number of seconds for the in and out breaths do vary some. I usually start with “In… 2… 3… out… 2…. 3” with my clients and adjust from there. You do not want to breathe so deeply that you are feeling dizzy or lightheaded – that is specifically what we are trying to counteract! If you find that happens, breathe more shallow or take shorter in and out breaths.

It is most helpful, especially at the beginning, to have someone else (therapist, friend, spouse) count for you while you breathe. There is also a great app you can download called Breathe2Relax that will give instructions and guide you through diaphragmatic breathing exercises.

There are 2 things I think are crucial for diaphragmatic breathing to be effective:

Expectancies – Simply put, if you believe in the rationale and science behind diaphragmatic breathing, it is more likely to be effective. If you believe it is simplistic or silly, it probably won’t help you.

Practice – How likely do you think it is you would make the Olympic track and field team if you had only run one time in the last year? Just like athletes need to train to improve their physical fitness and skills, diaphragmatic breathing needs to be practiced to be effective. A good place to start is daily practice of 5-10 minutes,during a time you are not in the throws of anxiety or significant stress.

I’ve included some helpful links on diaphragmatic breathing below. If you are interested is learning more about anxiety management and relaxation, and live in the Austin area, please reach out to me at 512-521-1531 or laura@drlaurawahlstrom.com.

Mayo Clinic: Decrease Stress by Using Your Breath

Psychology Today: Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve