Tools for Anxiety: Calming the Emotional Storm

We’ve all experienced it before, the raging storm of intense feelings: anger, fear, worry, or irritation. Whatever the emotion, it feels powerless to be so completely overwhelmed. What starts out as a justified reaction, at the peak of the emotional hurricane, eventually has you feeling like a puddle of guilt and shame after the intense emotions have passed.

So, what do you and how do you cope when the storm is surging? Many people that struggle with anxiety also struggle with intense emotional reactions. As an anxiety and trauma counselor in Orlando, I help my clients develop tools to cope with these emotional tsunamis.

Often, the emotional hijacking that takes place is an indicator that it is hurt, wounds, or traumas from the past that need to be worked through in therapy. You’re not a bad person if you experience overwhelm, you are triggered. When the emotion doesn’t fit the situation, it just means something from the past got triggered. Sometimes, we know the event or series of events that contributed to the intense emotions, and sometimes, it’s not so obvious. A skilled therapist can help you identify and desensitize the past so that it isn’t creating storms in your daily life.

Know the storm will pass.

If you’re feeling strong and intense emotions, know that it will be over soon. You won’t’ be stuck in this highly emotional place forever. Sometimes you just need to weather the storm. Do things to take care of yourself until things calm down for you. Take a walk outside, pet the dog, and breathe deeply. Remove yourself from the triggering situation.

Do no harm.

I teach this simple yet profound phrase to my clients. “Do no harm while the storm is raging.” In other words, don’t say anything to anyone when you feel intense emotions and definitely don’t take any action. Wait until the storm passes and reevaluate how you feel then. Anything worth saying or doing can wait. What sounds like a good idea when you’re caught in the rapids of strong emotions will likely not feel like a good idea after the storm passes. Spare yourself the guilt and shame and wait until things settle.

Ground Yourself

When you get caught up in the storm of intense emotions, you are operating from the subcortical parts of the brain. The amygdala and the brainstem have been triggered and are perceiving something in your environment as a threat or danger. Take a deep conscious breath, orient yourself to the here-and-now, and feel your feet on the ground. Check out this blog post on additional grounding techniques or try these guided meditation practices for additional support.

Be Kind to Yourself

It’s bad enough to have to deal with and experience an internal storm of difficult emotions. It’s physically draining and emotionally taxing to get caught up in a tsunami of intense feelings. Often, the automatic response is to judge yourself for feeling out control. The Internal dialogue often sounds like, “I must be damaged goods if I can’t even control my own emotions.” Harsh judgement is not helpful. Show yourself some compassion for the pain of having experienced a ripping storm of intense emotions roaring through your system.

Seek Therapy

If you struggle with frequent emotional storm surges, consider getting support from a professional. As a trauma and anxiety therapist, I give my clients tangible tools for coping with the emotional rapids and then we set out to find the root causes of the internal turbulence.

Next time you feel the storm surging through your body, remember that it will pass, don’t take any action during the storm, be kind to yourself after the storm has passed, and if needed, seek guidance from a therapist specializing in trauma and anxiety.

More Tools for Anxiety Provided by Orlando Therapist:

Tools for Anxiety: Know Your Body, Emotions, and Thoughts

Tools for Anxiety: Somatic Resources

Tools for Anxiety: Mindful Thinking

For More on Anxiety, Check These Out:

Anxiety Much? Mindfulness to the Rescue

Discerning the Difference between Danger and Discomfort [a tool to calm anxiety]

Anxiety? Use this Quick Tool to Tame the Runaway Train

Are you ready to calm the emotional storm?

Schedule your free 15-minute phone consultation here.

Mindful Living Counseling Orlando is a trauma healing center. Our Orlando Therapy Services include anxiety therapy, trauma counseling, eating disorder recovery, teen counseling, and healing from toxic relationships. At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we use a down-to-earth approach infused with cutting-edge therapies that go beyond traditional talk therapy so clients can heal at the root level and experience lasting change. Feel free to access one of our Guided Meditations to help you feel settled and calm now.