It's easy to feel unsteady and unbalanced these days, or, to use a therapy term, dysregulated. Dysregulation’s aspirational twin is “emotionally regulated,” and often people come into therapy with a goal of better emotion regulation. But what are we really saying when we talk about the regulation and dysregulation of emotion? And what can help us stay regulated when everything feels out of control?
Do recent events, or just life in general, have you hiding under the covers and saying "I don't want to"? I can relate! I’ll bet your mind works a lot like my mind, and bonus points if you, like me, said "I don't want to" in the last day, or even within the last hour. Thoughts like “I don’t want to” and “I can’t” often come along with feelings of apathy, disengagement, and overwhelm; a murky soup of anxiety, depression, and apathy. Maybe it's time to explore the "I don't want to" part of us and get to know her a little better.
A quick Google search tells me everyone and their cousin is writing about election anxiety right now, and for a good reason…according to a survey by the American Psychological Association, 69% of Americans say the election is a “significant stressor.” I notice my own anxiety as a sort of queasiness in my stomach, and an increase in avoidance behaviors like shutting down or checking out (or writing a blog about anxiety as a way to avoid instead of feeling my feels.) It's rough out there, so let's talk about some ways to stay grounded amidst the turmoil.
A while back, I wrote a blog on the different flavors of anxiety. I wrote the post in late November, headed into the dark days of winter. At the time, spring anxiety never even crossed my mind as an anxiety flavor. This year as we’re stumbling clumsily into spring I’m remembering the specific type of springtime anxiety unique to Southwest Colorado; an agitated and unsettled feeling that for me usually shows up around March and persists through late May. Signs of spring anxiety include overcommitting, restlessness, impulsivity, appetite and body image difficulties, and ungroundedness.