When Emergency Alerts Trigger Anxiety, What Can We Do?

When there’s a disaster, it’s helpful to know what’s going on — and know whether you’re truly at risk. But as essential as emergency alert systems are, they can leave many of us feeling anxious — even when the alert may be a false alarm or test.

The Science Behind Emergency Alert-Induced Anxiety

This is because emergency alerts, whether real or tests, can activate the same neural circuits involved in real danger. This can trigger stress, confusion, and anxiety.

The Consequences of Chronic Stress

Our nervous systems are constantly processing information from both our bodies and our environment, trying to distinguish between warnings that demand action and those that can be safely ignored.

But over time, the stress associated with being on constant alert can have lasting effects on mental health. Chronic stress can contribute to the risk of developing anxiety disorders and depression, and even physical disorders such as heart disease. This is especially true for people who live in war-torn or natural disaster-prone areas.

The Impact on Individuals with Pre-Existing Anxiety

In people who already have anxiety, being unable to distinguish between real and perceived threats can be particularly debilitating. This can amplify their distress, making it difficult to navigate a world filled with both real and perceived threats.

The Role of the Interoceptive System

The body’s interoceptive system — the brain’s ability to sense and interpret internal physiological signals — plays a crucial role in determining which environmental signals warrant our attention.

Nervous System Support

Thankfully, there are things we can do to help better support our nervous systems in making these critical distinctions.

It’s helpful to be conscious and deliberate about what we expose ourselves to in our internal and external environment. Creating a daily schedule with set times for exercise, sleep, and social connection can be effective. Practicing mind-body approaches such as mindfulness, breath work, yoga, and tai chi might also help to facilitate an inward focus. Sustaining this inward focus can help reset our interoceptive system.

Other Strategies for Managing Anxiety

Spending time with friends and sharing your concerns with them can also be helpful when dealing with perceived threats. This can also enhance social connection, which can buffer stress. Limiting time with people who increase your anxiety is also key.

Stepping away from information streams might also help. Finding ways to temporarily turn off or physically separate from digital devices such as laptops, cellphones, and smart-watches for set periods of time can effectively facilitate a break from media. This can allow our minds to settle and reset our attention on priorities that are meaningful to us.

Spending time in nature or finding time for stillness in other ways, such as listening to calming music, can also be helpful.

Floatation Therapy: A New Approach to Reducing Anxiety

A novel strategy that has recently been studied for reducing anxiety and resetting the interoceptive nervous system is floatation tank immersion, also known as float therapy or flotation-REST. This involves lying in a shallow bath of warm water filled with concentrated levels of Epsom salt. When combined with reduced visual and auditory stimulation, this is thought to enhance the body’s interoceptive signals.

Conclusion

Ultimately, understanding the brain’s role in processing internal and external threats is vital to improving our mental and physical wellbeing. Using our interoceptive nervous system as a way of developing resilience involves learning to be proactive rather than reactive. Sensing when our body is getting the preliminary cues of anxiety or stress that can mount into full-blown disarray can help. Not reacting to these cues, and consciously and deliberately choosing alternative actions, can help to unwind the anxiety from these cues. This may also potentially even help us avoid an episode of panic.

FAQs

Q: What are some strategies for managing anxiety triggered by emergency alerts?

A: Some strategies for managing anxiety triggered by emergency alerts include being conscious and deliberate about what we expose ourselves to, practicing mindfulness, and taking breaks from information streams.

Q: Can floatation therapy help with anxiety?

A: Yes, floatation therapy has been shown to quickly reduce anxiety and stress levels, increase relaxation, and lead to lasting improvements in body image.

Q: How can I develop resilience to emergency alerts?

A: Developing resilience to emergency alerts involves learning to be proactive rather than reactive, sensing when our body is getting the preliminary cues of anxiety or stress, and not reacting to these cues but instead choosing alternative actions.