Psychotherapist Asha Tarry discusses reducing anxiety in these difficult times
The past several months has been stressful on many levels, starting with the health and economic crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic and then exacerbated by the often-violent protests that occurred in the wake of the death of George Floyd while being arrested in Minneapolis. For many people, anxiety levels have been elevated, but finding a way to lower one”™s anxiety does not fall into a one-size-fits-all solution.
“Anxiety looks different with everyone,” said Asha Tarry, a New York-based psychotherapist and certified life coach and author of the new book “Adulting As A Millennial: A Guide to Everything Your Parents Didn”™t Teach You.”
In an interview produced for Westfair Business Buzz, the weekly podcast distributed by Westfair Communications, the Business Journal”™s parent company, Tarry explained an individual”™s response to anxiety-inducing situations is predicated on their “innate ability to cope” in both good and bad times.
“First and foremost, the easiest thing we can do is to label our feelings,” she said. “Even if it”™s hard to identify what we feel, we might even start with sensations. You might notice that your heart is beating faster than usual, especially if you”™re in settings that might trigger you or that you are having racing thoughts. That”™s something people tend to point to when they feel anxious.”
Tarry advised talking honestly about one”™s feelings rather than remaining stoic. She also reminded people on the therapeutic power of inhaling and exhaling.
“The thing that”™s the easiest thing to do for us at times when we”™re relaxed, but the hardest thing to do when we”™re stressed, is to breathe,” she said. “When we are aroused or we are vigilant with what”™s going on in the world, we tend to breathe very short, shallow breaths. And that raises our adrenaline and our cortisol levels ”” they”™re correlated to one another.”
A complicating factor for many people is the 24/7 news stream, which seems to focus almost entirely on pandemic and protest-related stories that provide the impression of a nation drowning in chaos. Tarry recommended cutting back if one can identify increased anxiety with a surplus of disturbing news coverage.
“You may have to use your judgment call if you notice that looking at watching or listening to someone”™s stories has a negative impact on your health,” she said. “I think it is important to calculate that into the equation. But some people can”™t turn away from this. Some people have to face what”™s happening in the world. And for some that might just include limiting how much you take in per day or per hour.”
Tarry added that “for healthier people, I think it”™s important to know what”™s happening ”” but know what”™s happening and know what you can do about it.”
Tarry acknowledged that many corporate wellness programs place a heavier emphasis on physical health rather than mental health, stating “we need to have new conversations” on the subject with a focus on breaking taboos that many people associate with mental health assistance.
Tarry envisioned corporate wellness programs where people can tap into mental health services with the same level of participation that one associates with dental or vision programs, suggesting there could be “days that people can choose to select mental health days off. It should look like incentives to get people to do things for their mental well-being, whether that includes having modified work schedules.”
She also stressed that companies enjoy bottom-line benefits when focused on this issue.
“Happier employees have loyalty to the company, which most corporations want,” she said.
Tarry also cautioned that considering issues of mental health as a standalone subject is not the best approach to the issue.
“Health isn”™t one thing,” she said. “Health is very complex and it”™s comprehensive. Your mental, emotional, spiritual state are interconnected. The evidence doesn”™t point to more people doing better without help. The evidence points to the success rates of people who”™ve sought therapy, committed to therapy and continued with therapy. And what we”™ve noticed is that people have less symptoms over time that also positively affects their physical health and it affects positively their relationships and they tend to have longer periods of health than they do illness.”