As an avid concert goer, I have found myself in nosebleed seats counting down the seconds before an act goes on more times than I can count. It doesn’t matter if I waited days or months for the time to come, the anticipation is always there. That being said, I am always in tune to the sensations in my body before a show, and without fail I get a little shaky, lightheaded and most of the time, nauseous - sometimes to the point of needing to run to a quieter area and calm myself down.

I have been in online therapy myself for quite a few years in an attempt to quell my anxiety symptoms. Most of my therapy sessions revolved around my anxiety and how debilitating the somatic effects were in my daily life. I was taught CBT and used these techniques to rationalize my own thoughts. CBT, or cognitive behavior therapy for short, is something I utilize in my own practice now when I give therapy because of how helpful it was. Though I had my doubts about the format of my sessions, online therapy was able to get me the tools I needed to control the butterflies and stomachaches I’d get in anxiety inducing situations.

So then why, years later, do these same sensations come up in situations that should only be bringing excitement and exhilaration? The amount of adrenaline you feel before any anticipated event, whether it’s a concert, a first date, or a friend's birthday party, is enough to send your body into ‘fight or flight’ mode. This response of hyperarousal is your body's way of protecting yourself from any sort of danger or anything that will take a toll on your general wellbeing. CBT is taught in therapy sessions to lessen the symptoms of the body's response to stress and create coping mechanisms that will help to regulate anxiety long term. 

We never think to use coping mechanisms when something brings us excitement, but the body can’t truly distinguish between the two emotions - all it has to rely on is the adrenaline pumping through our system. Increased adrenaline will increase your heart rate, unsettle your stomach, and tense your muscles. Whether it’s telling you to flee a stressful situation, or to pump you up for a concert, these symptoms might feel too overwhelming to handle. When you’re excited, it may be difficult to find time to calm down. This is where aspects of CBT, such as relaxation techniques or challenging conflicting thoughts can help to regulate our body and keep us going for a night of fun. 

Something that helped me personally through my time in online therapy was using logic to pinpoint where my symptoms were coming from. The ability to distinguish my own emotions helped me mentally talk myself out of hardcore anxiety symptoms that I was feeling due to excitement. I specifically bring breathing and mindfulness exercises into spaces where I know I may be overstimulated, even by positive emotions. I was guided through various breathing routines during online therapy sessions that I take with me in my daily life. One that has stuck with me is pressing down on a nostril, breathing in for 8 seconds, before holding for 4 and letting go, alternating sides after the breath out. I have done this in concert venues, Broadway theaters - even waiting to meet a friend for dinner! - and it has done wonders to relax the tightness in my gut. More than anything, I’m thankful that I no longer have to carry around pepto bismol wherever I go!

For more examples of mindfulness techniques, I would suggest finding resources online or even meeting with a therapist to discuss ways to decrease your body's somatic effects. There are plenty of CBT techniques that can be used on the go before your next big event!

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