Our Anxious Nation

"[Anxiety] sufferers gather in places like New York, where relentlessness and impatience are the highest values, and in industries built on unrelenting deadlines and tightrope deals.  Urban achievers retain a superstitious belief in the magical powers of their worry." -- Listening to Xanax by Lisa Miller, New York Magazine.

  Apparently the 90's Prozac Nation has become the 20k Xanax Nation.  We are no longer stressed and distraught by depression, instead we are plagued with anxiety.  We think, "What if I lose my job?"  "What's next?"  "Why can't I stop obsessing about the same things?"  "When will my worries cease so I feel like I'm finally living again?"  From time to time we will all ponder these sorts of questions, but most of the time it's normal!  Worries don't need to be cured, they need a voice.  Worrying is part of living a full life.  Our nation promotes the idea that numbness is better than feeling.  How can we progress within our own lives if we regularly change our brain chemistry with drugs?
  I'm first to admit that I often struggle with all sorts of anxiety.  It has kept me awake at night; it has stopped me from experiencing and enjoying the people right in front of me; it has contributed to feelings of sadness, anger, exhaustion, etc.  Sure, Xanax stops this sort of daily anxiety, but it also diminishes the ability to care about anything.  How can we learn from our mistakes if we don't care?  How is escaping reality real?  How is that a "cure" for our worries and upsets in the long run?  Taking a drug does not help us better explore who we are.  Consider your life's feelings precious.

  Try Yoga.  Be guided into the moment.  Practice mindfulness.  Become aware of your feelings, breathe into them and let them be a part of who you are at this moment.  There is nothing wrong with you.  Your feelings are valid, nevermind the fact that they can be very helpful to you.

  Notice the position you are sitting in and how it makes you feel.  Notice the distractions around you.  Is your phone occupying your time?  Is the tv on even though you're not watching it?  Could you use a nap?  Are you feeling anxiety right now?  Do something about it.  Could you call someone and apologize, perhaps forgive yourself, set up a schedule to organize your busy day ahead, change your diet, or maybe just breathe more deeply?  Take a moment, turn everything off, shut the door, press play on the link below, close your eyes and listen (you don't need to watch it), then sit in silence for at least one full minute afterward.

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  Welcome back.  How long did one minute feel to you?  Like an eternity or like a millisecond?  Next time, try to increase the time of silence to five minutes, then ten or even fifteen.  Notice how is alters your state of mind.  Start small and work your way up.

  My recommendation to a world addicted to Xanax is simple: drop the drug; it's addictive and can be harmful to yourself and the people around you.  Figure out what isn't serving you in your life.  Rid yourself of harmful anxiety by practicing mindful Yoga and Meditation.  Allow yourself the space to live in the moment.  Let go of fear about the future and disappointment from the past; be here now and love yourself.  Look how far you have come.

Yoga Style Recommendations:  Try Kripalu Yoga.  It's offered all over the country.  It is slow paced, focused on breath and encourages conscious movement.