Let’s not get too clinical about one another’s psychological quirks. Arachnophobia? Sometimes a fear of spiders might just be a fear of spiders. After all, they are kind of scary looking, and sometimes they are even deadly. And why be so quick to identify a fear of heights? Some people simply have a well-founded aversion to falling. Our quirks usually have some basis in reality, and having them doesn’t have to mean we are deranged.
We all have things that make us nervous. We all have things we worry about. I admit that when I take my bike out on the road, I am a little apprehensive about being hit by a car. Maybe that’s because it’s happened before. I don’t consider my fear of speeding cars a phobia. In fact, I am fairly content with it, because it keeps me attentive and makes me exercise better judgment in traffic.
Anxieties are Normal
The truth is, it’s perfectly normal to have specialized — even quirky — fears and concerns. It’s only when nervousness, apprehension, fear, or worry interfere with your everyday activities, that they are a problem worth solving, or at least managing.
If you have anxieties that are in any way debilitating, a doctor or therapist can provide some help. There are prescription medicines, and there is talk therapy, and there are brain stimulation techniques. There is also a spectrum of self-help techniques and alternative medical treatments.
Take a Vacation From Anxiety
But maybe your anxieties aren’t debilitating. Maybe they are just irritating to live with. If that’s the case, let me suggest taking a vacation from them. Consider flotation REST (restricted environmental stimulation therapy), which is available as a float pod session at Peak Recovery & Health Center. In the float pod, you are cut off from external stimuli. You are in a soundproof, lightproof tank. Heavily salted water at near body temperature allows you to float. You don’t even feel the pull of gravity on your body. The lack of stimulation reduces your self-awareness to almost nothing. Imagine spending 45 minutes without hearing a single car horn or telephone, without having to respond to anyone or anything. The resulting state of mental and physical relaxation is far beyond what non-floaters experience in a lifetime.
How Float Pod Reduces Anxiety
Just being unaware of your anxieties for a brief time is good. But evidence suggests that the float pod provides more lasting relief as well.
Arguably, activity in your brain’s amygdala, which governs your “fight-or-flight” response, plays a major role in anxiety. Recent research shows that sensory deprivation reduces the activity of the amygdala. And a study at the Float Clinic and Research Center at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa, Oklahoma found that the reduced activity of the amygdala persists after the float session is over. That means once you’ve floated, life continues to be less stressful even after you’ve showered away the epson salts. For a lot of people, reduced stress means reduced anxiety.
Come find out what life looks like without your anxieties. Book a float pod session at Peak Recovery & Health Center.
