Struggling with Anxiety/Depression/Grief? Here are my top tips!

In my role as a therapist, a question I frequently encounter revolves around finding effective strategies to manage feelings of anxiety, depression, and grief. I understand that these emotions can be particularly tough and sometimes overwhelming. It's important to acknowledge the significant impact they can have on a person's well-being and daily life. However, I'd like to share some essential tools that can make a positive difference in how you deal with anxiety, depression, or the weight of grief. These tools aren't meant to downplay the challenges you're facing; rather, they're designed to provide you with valuable skills for navigating these emotions and helping you feel better.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning: Feeling the Feelings

In my experience the first place to start with any difficulty, is to truly allow yourself to feel and process your feelings. This means being willing for anxiety, depression, or grief to show up, and being willing to be uncomfortable for the sake of moving through.

Avoidance Maintains Anxiety & Emotional Pain

Research has shown us that avoidance is often what exacerbates feelings and keeps us stuck. We might push our feelings, urges and sensations down as we think I cannot or should not feel what I am feeling. We might chase short term relief that in the end leaves us feeling even more stuck. Often in a discomfort-brief relief-return of discomfort cycle. (Think of a car driving around and around a cul-de-sac with no escape!) These are all human reactions that are quite common and understandable given our thinking brain’s constant need to problem solve and keep us from feeling uncomfortable. But we can start to take actions that help us to alleviate our suffering more thoroughly.

Tips for Coping with Strong Emotions

So, what can we do to being to invite feelings in, to begin to work with comes up for us as it comes up? Here are some points to consider and exercises to try:

• Is emotional identification difficult for you? Spend some time learning about emotions and feelingsand being curious, aware, and open to your unique experience.

• Sit with urges and ride the wave of discomfort,breathe into the sensation. Can you give it a color, a shape, a temperature, a location in your body?

• If you are feeling particularly swept away by emotion, try a grounding techniqueto bring you back to the present like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Practicing mindfulness daily can make us more present and better able to identify what feelings come up.

• Journalabout what is coming up for you. Are there thoughts and feelings and sensations that make you feel particularly hooked?

• What is the storyyou are telling about yourself? How attached are you to that story, is truly representative of all that you are?

• Is this a feeling that I have had in the past,is the feeling being uncomfortable a trigger for my thinking mind that “something bad is going to happen?” When did a first feel this feeling? What thoughts are attached to it?

• How were emotions and feelings approached in your family of origin?Often, we unconsciously take on coping mechanisms and beliefs about the expression of our feelings from our caregivers. What would it be like to let go of the rules we have about feeling?

• Above all, try to be patient and kind to yourself.Avoiding discomfort is human and learning to feel our emotions is a practice. Celebrate your progress and keep showing up for yourself!

How Therapy Can Help with Depression, Anxiety or Grief:

Therapy can be a tremendous source of support when it comes to managing feelings of depression, anxiety, or grief. Life sometimes presents us with hurdles that can be tough to navigate independently. Even if you've tried some of the techniques mentioned above, you might find that certain aspects of your emotions feel a bit stuck, like a puzzle missing a piece.

The great thing about therapy is that it's like having a skilled guide on your journey through these challenging emotions. A therapist is like a trusted navigator who can help you unravel these complex feelings and provide you with the tools you need to overcome them. It's not just about addressing the present; it's also about crafting a better, brighter future. So, if you ever find yourself feeling like you're in a tough spot with your mental well-being, remember that therapy is here to lend a helping hand and lead you toward a happier, healthier life.

Begin Therapy in Lee’s Summit, Columbia or Online in Missouri

If you're struggling with depression, anxiety or feel like you're drowning in your grief, you don't have to go through this alone. You deserve to find healing from the stress, depression, anxiety or trauma that’s been holding your back. Therapy can help. And if you're in the state of Missouri, we'd love to help.  Getting started is easy:

1. Get matched with the right therapist

2. Begin counseling

3. Learn and have support starting to use new coping skills.

About the Author

Rachael Sackreiter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Individual Therapist at Aspire Counseling. Rachael specializes in working with Clients experiencing Anxiety, Depression, Grief, stressful life transitions and Trauma.She uses a variety of modalities based on the unique needs of each client, including ACT, CBT, CPT, and mindfulness based approaches. Whether meeting in our Columbia, MO counseling office or from anywhere in Missouri for online therapy, Rachael provides a safe space for healing and guide clients toward an authentic and purposeful life.