6 Skills for Relief from Anxiety+Stress + Psychosomatic Pain
If you read last blog all about anxiety and have been struggling with pain and psychosomatic stress, read below for 6 tips for relief today!
6 Tips for relief:
Commit to making life changes.
Do you need to set better boundaries at work, or even change your workplace environment? Do you need to cut a toxic person out of your life? Do you need to create distance or move away from a friend group or community that is cold and uninviting to you? Do you need to work on accepting yourself for who you are today? Do you need to have a hard and honest look at your career life and see if this is really the route you want? Do you need to take better care of your self care routines and address medical issues?
Care for your body.
Ensure you are getting adequate sleep for your body. Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. Get your share of fruits and vegetable and reduce your intake of processed foods. Engage in physical activity, a dance class, hiking, swimming or outdoor sports with friends or loved ones. Science backs up how taking care of your physical health is a big component of healing the mind + body balance and health
Self sooth
Drop some lavender oil into your palms and massage gently. Cup your face into your hands and sniff lightly. The smell calms the brain down.
Pressure Point called “Sea Of Tranquility”. Place pressure on the pressure point directly above your heart, on your breastbone. It helps re-ground and center.
Supports
Identify people in your life who you can count on to hear you out, support you or just serve as a anchor when you’re going through a tough time. This can be even a quick “I’m here for you.” If you're worried about calling to emotionally vent and are unsure how they’ll respond, you can always start off with: "I'm having a hard time, and would love to chat. Is now an OK time to speak?" By asking you are allowing them to let you know if they are busy, distracted or too stressed out to be of support in this moment.
It’s important to have a back up plan for times when people are all asleep or unavailable. Can you create a favorite “pick me up” playlist on your phone to listen to? Create some art you’ll share with a loved one the next day, or watch a favorite show?
Slow Down + Get Curious.
Uncover Emotion + Body Connection. Get curious about the connection between your stress symptoms and your current emotions. Was there a recent trigger? Are you worried about an event that is coming up? Is something kicking up an old negative belief that is stealing your energy or is your inner critic attacking you too much lately? Beginning to identify what is beneath the discomfort often offers a big sense of relief and reduces the intensity of discomfort.
Self Educate.
Continue to learn about body + brain + mind connection and get to know what your body symptoms are about. Knowledge is power, and simply by understanding your body better, you can experience relief. There is nothing as wonderful as clarity as it guides you to what is best for you.
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If self-help tips don’t offer the ease you seek, therapy may be the next step.
how does therapy help psychosomatic symptoms?
In therapy, we offer psycho education about the scientific connections between the brain and the body.
We look at recent, or ongoing, areas that are causing distress and help you find better ways to manage and navigate life. When we identify the unspoken expectations and pressures you’re unconsciously carrying, we’re linking the mind+ body, and the severity of the painful symptoms begin to decrease.
There are many methods of expression and physical release of trapped emotions, memories, self-defeating beliefs or traumas that have been locked away. Some of the scientific-based therapy methods I use in my practice are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, Somatic Psychotherapy, Talk Therapy, Internal Family Systems/Parts Work and Expressive Arts.
Seek a mind-body focused therapist who can help you work on these specific symptoms.
You’ll develop ways to healthily express emotions so you’d don’t “clog” your system again. When you learn to trust your instincts, set better boundaries and speak up when needed, your mind, brain and body are at ease.
By opening lines for communication, your body often won’t need to use this method of expression (and often protection, as well) and the symptoms significantly reduce, and in some instances, dissipate.
Engage in a healing process.
If you have been suffering from pain that has not responded to conventional treatment, it may be related to your anxiety, or may be a psychosomatic disorder. Treatment for each person, based on the presenting issues, anxiety levels and severity of pain is obviously different.
Live in New York and ready to experience anxiety relief?
We are here for you!
At our Integrative Psychotherapy practice we offer a range of methods of treatment, so your therapist can personalize a treatment plan just for you. Some of the skills we offer are EMDR therapy, Somatic therapy, Attachment-Informed methods, Cognitive therapy, Internal Family Systems/Parts work and Expressive methods to help you experience relief.
Live in the Five Towns of Nassau County or anywhere across Long Island? Or live anywhere in New York? Our practice of skilled clinicians would be happy to help you find the best care to help you begin feeling better today! And if we cannot treat you due to location, we will do our best to connect you to a provider near you.
Click below for your free 15 minute consultation so we can map out a plan for your treatment.