I’ve been told that emotions are just energy. I have found this to be true. I have always had more energy than the average human being. Even without regularly drinking coffee, I rarely have been able to take naps, except when I had been deprived of sleep for long periods of time. I usually have been hyper and excited most of the time. I recently noticed that it doesn’t take much to make me happy. I burst with excitement over the smallest of compliments, pieces of joyful news, and inspirational quotations.
Many times, I’ll become joyful, and those around me will tell me to calm down. Among some people, I have learned how to hide my joy because they don’t approve or they don’t understand. As a result, I have energy within me that is waiting to be exerted. If I choose not to let it manifest in joy, the energy will automatically manifest in anxiety. There is no other way that I had allowed myself to release the energy. So I’d wake up in the middle of the night, with energy welling up inside of me, and I wouldn’t know what to do.
In learning to overcome anxiety, I have discovered how to control the energy within me. I avoid high fructose corn syrup and other types of sugar (as well as caffeine) so my body does not create unnecessary energy. If I ingest too much sugar or caffeine and then start to feel anxious, I will tell myself that my anxiety is not caused by a legitimate fear but by an excess of sugar. Instead of freaking out, I go for a walk or a bike ride every day before I start my routine. My favorite way to exert energy is to dance. I remember a time where I could feel a panic attack starting. I just stood up and started dancing. I jumped up and down, not caring who saw me. After a few minutes, I began to feel tired. I danced some more, past my fatigue, and then I stopped. I was so tired that I fell to the floor. Whatever troubling thoughts I had didn’t matter anymore. I was too tired to care. But because I exercised, my body created endorphins, so I felt peaceful and happy.
If you struggle with anxiety, try to become aware of the energy you ingest. Record the food you eat, and see if a diet change makes a difference. Women’s bodies could create more energy during different times of the month, so being aware of that is helpful as well. Eating food with hormones could also cause a chemical imbalance that could produce anxiety. When you exert energy, you could go for a walk. If you’re in panic mode, you could even go for a run. You don’t have to be on the defensive side of a panic attack. If you feel a panic attack coming, fight it before it gets the chance to overtake you.
Elisabeth Warner 