I grew up in an environment where the message from my mother was to keep it moving. The term self-care was not a thing and for many years I pushed myself through many tough and challenging life events that caused stress and anxiety I did not have a clue as to how to slow down and take care of myself from an emotional, physical or spiritual perspective. I began to understand the concept of self-care over the past two decades of serving as a grief counselor. Today I am intentional about my own self-care and advocate the same for my clients. Stress and anxiety are health matters that fall under the mental health awareness umbrella.

Mental health awareness has become more prevalent since the pandemic. One of the health themes for May is mental health.  Stress and anxiety are intertwined for large numbers of African Americans. As mental health advocates and experts shed insight on health conditions affecting African Americans, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health conditions, some experts say resources and awareness are still overlooked and lacking for disorders such as anxiety.

Angela Neal-Barnett, a director of Kent State’s Program on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans within the school’s Department of Psychology, told NBC News that for years, no one was writing about anxiety and blackness because researchers assumed anxiety disorders affected African Americans the same as Whites.

“Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in the United States and impacts African Americans at a higher rate than any other group – especially African American women,” she said. Neal-Barnett focuses her research on the topic of blackness and anxiety to dispel mental health myths about African Americans and open the dialogue in black communities.

The American Psychological Association (2022, February 14) defines the difference between stress and anxiety https://apa.org/topics/stress/anxiety=difference. “There is a fine line between stress and anxiety. Both are emotional responses, but an external trigger typically causes stress. The trigger can be short-term, such as a work deadline or a fight with a loved one, or long-term, such as being unable to work, discrimination, or chronic illness. People under stress experience mental and physical symptoms, such as irritability, anger, fatigue, muscle pain, digestive troubles, and difficulty sleeping. Anxiety, on the other hand, is defined by persistent, excessive worries that don’t go away even in the absence of a stressor. Anxiety leads to a nearly identical set of symptoms as stress: insomnia, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, muscle tension, and irritability.

Both mild stress and mild anxiety respond well to similar coping mechanisms. Physical activity, a nutritious and varied diet, and good sleep hygiene are good starting points, but other coping mechanisms are available.”

If you are having difficulty managing your stress or anxiety, consider talking to a mental health professional who can help you understand what you are experiencing and provide you with additional coping tools. For example, a therapist or psychologist can help determine whether you may have an anxiety disorder. Typically, anxiety may persist for months and negatively affect mood and functioning. Some anxiety disorders can be debilitating, such as agoraphobia (the fear of public or open spaces), and may cause the person to avoid enjoyable activities or make it difficult to keep a job.

According to the latest data from the National Institute of Mental Health, 31 % of Americans will experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetimes.

One of the most common anxiety disorders is generalized anxiety disorder. To identify if someone has generalized anxiety disorder, a professional clinician will need to evaluate for symptoms such as excessive, hard-to-control worry occurring most days over six months. The concern may jump from topic to topic. Generalized anxiety disorder is accompanied by physical symptoms or anxiety.

Panic disorders are another type of anxiety, which is marked by sudden attacks of anxiety that may leave a person sweating, dizzy, and gasping for air. Anxiety may manifest in the form of specific phobias (such as fear of flying) or social anxiety, which is marked by a pervasive fear of social situations.

Matters of mental health and self-care are very much in vogue today. We no longer have to be ashamed of being stigmatized because we need to take care of our mental health. We are three-dimensional people made of three elements: emotional, physical, and spiritual. When one element is struggling, our entire system is off. Listed below are self-care tips and suggestions to manage your stress and anxiety.

1. Talk to A Professional – Talk therapy is one of the most common ways to treat anxiety.

• Behavior health specialists need a master’s degree to practice.

• Psychiatrists get a medical degree and can prescribe medicine. They normally don’t do talk therapy.

• Psychologists get a doctoral degree. They normally specialize in talk therapy.

2. Get Moving – Exercise can help improve your sleep and energy levels. When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals that can lower anxiety. My doctor and other medical professionals advocate that 150 minutes or more of exercise a week will lower the odds of having anxiety. For people who exercised 300 minutes or more a week, the risk of having anxiety symptoms was very low. I intentionally move my body 90 minutes Monday through Friday.

3. Meditation – Managing anxiety may be helped by easing stress in small moments. That’s when you are fully focused on what’s happening right now. I spend thirty minutes in the morning in quiet time. Meditation quiets the chatter and provides inner peace.

4. Breathing Exercise – Breathing slowly and deeply can tell your brain to calm the rest of your body. Just five minutes of deep breathing can significantly lower anxiety. If I should feel momentary stress, I pause and engage in deep breathing which settles me immediately. I also encourage grieving clients to breathe while they are feeling overwhelmed by their grief.

5. Sleep Care – Sleep is one of the most beneficial things for your physical and mental well-being. Often, a good night of sleep is a remedy for many obstacles in life. Sleep can help improve mood.

6. Be Kind to Yourself – Changing how you talk to yourself may help calm anxiety. Self-talk can have a major impact on our feelings. The late Louise Hay, author and motivational speaker was a strong advocate for positive affirmations and self-talk being a healing balm for the body and spirit.

7. Keeping a Journal – It’s common for people with anxiety to feel there’s a lot on their minds. As an experienced grief counselor, I have seen time and again how journaling thoughts bring thoughts out of the head.

• Write on paper or in a journal with a pencil or pen.

• Write in a file on your computer.

• Write in a note app on your smartphone or tablet.

8. Join a Support Group – Spending time with other people who have anxiety can help you feel less alone. Your doctor may be able to help you find local support groups. Searching online is also an option.

9. Watch Something Funny – Fill your spirit with joy by watching something funny. To practice this self-care activity, simply go to your favorite streaming website and cruise the comedy section. Pick something funny that you’re familiar with or give a new TV show or movie a chance to make you chuckle.

Be intentional about taking care of all elements of your health, especially your mental health. You deserve to live life as your best self.

Your Body Keeps Score.