GREENSBORO, N.C. — We’ve all been under stressful situations at some point in our lives. When you’re feeling pressure or stress, it can be hard to think things through quickly and efficiently to solve the problem. There’s a biological reason you feel anxious when dealing with a stressful situation. Your amygdala, the part of your brain that regulates your emotions, is activated when you’re stressed and releases cortisol and adrenaline, which allows your body to respond when threatened. A threat doesn’t have to be physical; it can be psychological or emotional.
One way to think through a critical situation when you’re anxious is to break down the problem and figure out the first steps. Taking action helps you break through the anxiety to fix the situation. Let me give you an example. Early this morning, I got an email from Amazon that my account was compromised, and they locked it down. I checked my credit card account and noticed charges I didn’t make. I started to feel anxious but forced myself to think about what I had to do to fix the problem – canceling cards, ordering new ones, what to use to pay for things until new cards arrive, etc. Breaking up the problem with the steps I had to take to fix it keeps the anxiety at bay because you’re taking action. And move.
Reaching out to someone to help you think through the solution can help you. Asking someone to help you think through what you should do can help you work through the anxiety. It’s reassuring when you’re on the right path; they can point out things you haven’t thought of to help you. They can also help clarify your thinking if they can’t follow your words.
You can continue the conversation on my Facebook page: Blanca Cobb – Body Language Expert. Write a message on my timeline, and I’ll reply. While you’re on my page, I’d appreciate it if you give my page a “like.”