When managing stress, anxiety and panic, I think the first thing most of us think about is intervention. That is, what we do or could do in the moment when we are dysregulated and overwhelmed by our emotional state. And this makes great sense because the experience we have in these moments is often very uncomfortable and can be quite distressing. Our goal most of the time is to reduce the experience of such distress and discomfort.
However, treating stress, anxiety and panic we really need to use a two pronged approach to our strategies. We don’t just need intervention, we also need prevention. We think about prevention in all sorts of areas of our lives. We study for tests to get a good mark, we wear seatbelts in the car to keep us safe in the event of a crash, we eat a wide range of foods for health, we clean our teeth to prevent tooth decay and we tie our shoelaces to prevent tripping over. The same principles can be applied to our mental health.
Practicing prevention strategies can help us to reduce the likelihood that we will experience stress, anxiety or panic and if we do, can minimise how intensely the experience is for us. You may have heard of the ‘stress bucket’ or ‘7 cups’ concepts, or perhaps more technical terms like zones of regulation. Each of these concepts are speaking to the same idea, which is that we can reduce our level of arousal or baseline stress and anxiety through the use of prevention strategies, which in turn helps us later if triggered, by mitigating the intensity of the experience.
So, what are prevention strategies and how do they differ from intervention strategies. Prevention strategies are strategies you can use to get your day off on the right foot. Think about strategies such as:
· meditation or mindfulness
· exercise and mindful movement
· staying connected to friends and family
· accessing therapeutic support
· keeping work, academic and life tasks organised and reducing procrastination
· participating in activities that are meaningful and hold value for you
· practicing relaxation, breathing techniques and grounding exercises
Intervention on the other hand are the strategies you would use in the moment when your stress, anxiety or levels of panic are high. Some of these will be the same as prevention strategies (such as breathing, grounding exercises, relaxation strategies) but will be more effective and easier to implement if you have been practicing them as prevention strategies as well. Other intervention strategies include things like:
· problem solving and taking action to address the trigger
· exploring your thinking and reframing any unhelpful or illogical thoughts
· short bursts of intense movement or deep, slow movement (whichever feels best for you)
· putting icy cold water on your face
· connecting with a loved one
· taking a shower or bath
· engaging in something meaningful that brings you comfort, joy or pleasure
· spending time with your pet
Taking care of our mental health can feel complicated and overwhelming, and sometimes it feels like all you’re doing is being blown about by your stressors and triggers. We hope that thinking about prevention strategies will help you start to feel like there are very tangible things that you can implement into your week, that will have a very real impact on your health and wellbeing when you go through a tough time.
If you would like support with your mental health or the implementation of prevention and intervention strategies, visit our website www.melbournewellbeinggroup.com.au or call our administration team on 9882 8874. We’d love to hear from you.