Doechii’s “Anxiety” Is A Powerful Anthem for Men’s Mental Health

Are you looking for a way to broach the topic of anxiety with your child? Doechii’s Anxiety provides a poignant and relatable avenue to kickstart that conversation together!

Personal Perspective: Doechii’s heartfelt rendition captures the essence of our current emotional landscape.

Key Points

• Doechii’s Anxiety adeptly portrays both the physical and mental manifestations of anxiety.
• The song encourages us to recognize anxious thoughts as transient phenomena.
• Various coping mechanisms are presented: observing thoughts, refraining from judgment, calming the body, and seeking support from others.
• Families can utilize the song as a springboard to discuss anxiety and explore healthy coping strategies.

Doechii’s Anxiety transcends mere pulsating rhythms and poignant lyrics. In a year overshadowed by uncertainty, it serves as a reflection of our collective emotional state. When it resonates through our playlists, we may ponder: was its release timing intentional or serendipitous? Doechii has struck a chord, tapping into our shared somatic experience.

The song and its accompanying visuals effectively convey the visceral sensation of anxiety in our bodies and minds. As Doechii sings, “Breathing shallow, mind won’t settle / Tomorrow’s problems here today,” she encapsulates the quintessential features of anxiety. Picture rapid, shallow breaths, racing thoughts, and anticipatory worries. Anxiety mirrors the sounds of “Anxiety,” vividly mirroring how this experience can seize control of us.

Doechii goes beyond delineating the symptoms of anxiety. In the midst of the song, she endeavors to alter our perspective: “Notice it, name it, watch it go/It’s not you, it’s just passing through.” This segment introduces us to the initial steps of liberating ourselves from anxiety’s grip. Research in emotional science affirms that we can cultivate the ability to observe our thoughts instead of being enveloped by them.

This awareness underscores the core tenets of modalities like mindfulness-based cognitive therapy or acceptance and commitment therapy. For listeners, this reframing opens up a myriad of avenues for responding healthily to anxiety. Given that a singular approach may not suit every individual or circumstance, here are some avenues for exploration:

1. Recognize thoughts as transient: By acknowledging a worrisome thought as “just anxiety speaking,” we can concede its intrusion without letting it dictate our identity or actions.
2. Observe without judgment: By simply noting our thoughts, emotions, or sensations without assigning labels, we can create space to be less reactive to anxiety.
3. Utilize bodily techniques to calm down: During moments of anxiety, we experience physical sensations like tense muscles or shallow breathing. Engaging in deep breathing, muscle relaxation, or physical movement can alleviate these symptoms.
4. Seek connection with others: When we feel isolated in grappling with anxious feelings, confiding in a trusted individual can remind us that we are not alone. Sharing our struggles can benefit both ourselves and the other party.

Helping Men Navigate Anxiety

For fathers, Doechii’s song presents an opportunity to broach the subject of anxiety with their children, particularly their teenage sons. When adolescents are grappling with internal turmoil, hearing a father acknowledge, “I resonate deeply with this song – at times, I feel akin to it” could be impactful.

By candidly discussing personal worries while elucidating healthy coping strategies, fathers impart vital life skills. This doesn’t entail burdening children with adult concerns but rather demonstrating how to acknowledge and manage challenging emotions like tension or anxious thoughts.

Here are some straightforward strategies fathers can employ:

• Vocalize your experiences: When feeling anxious, express sentiments such as: “I’m apprehensive about my significant meeting tomorrow. My heart is racing, and my throat feels constricted. I need to implement a relaxation technique to calm down. I’ll take five deep breaths and observe the outcome.”
• Differentiate between constructive and unconstructive worry: Engage in dialogues about scenarios where worry can be beneficial (e.g., strategizing study plans for an exam) versus instances where it may spiral out of control (e.g., catastrophizing a subpar test score). Identifying opportunities to intercept and redirect unhelpful emotions before they escalate is crucial.
• Collaborate on solutions: Jointly devise simple strategies that family members can employ when feeling anxious—such as a unique deep breathing technique, enumerating visible objects in the vicinity, or engaging in physical movements to alleviate tension.
• Empower children to lead in problem-solving: Rather than rushing to resolve children’s anxiety, encourage them to articulate their feelings. Prompt them to suggest potential solutions by asking, “What do you think we could try?” Encouraging their autonomy in addressing immediate worries fosters resilience in managing future challenges independently.

Doechii’s creation of “Anxiety” extends beyond mere entertainment; it furnishes a valuable resource for our current milieu. We resonate with it because anxiety is a frequent visitor throughout our lifetimes, particularly in the present climate. Let’s leverage the song to shed light on our capacity to respond in constructive ways. We collectively play a role in determining our course of action when anxiety looms, a pivotal lesson for both fathers and their sons.

Share your strategies for navigating anxiety in the comments below!

Written by Sandra M. ChafouleasOriginally appeared on Psychology Today