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.

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.

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 naturally disaster-prone areas.

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.

Similarly, neurological conditions such as migraines, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease can be exacerbated by chronic stress responses. This can lead to a worsening of symptoms and lower quality of life.

The constant barrage of information we’re exposed to—from daily news alerts to “doomscrolling” on social media—highlights a broader challenge we all face: learning to navigate a world increasingly filled with real and perceived threats that can further exacerbate anxiety.

Chronic anxiety can disrupt sleep and circadian function. This can lead to a downward cycle in which poor sleep and poor mood can worsen cognitive and physical function.

People who are chronically anxious may also be at risk of loneliness and social isolation. When people get lonely, they tend to fixate on threatening stimuli, which can further exacerbate anxiety and perpetuate a vicious cycle.

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.

This system helps us detect when our heart is racing from actual danger, versus when it’s simply responding to stress or uncertainty. But when interoception is disrupted, as it often is during heightened anxiety states, distinguishing between true and false alarms becomes increasingly difficult.

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.

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. It can be very comforting to feel connected to others who are experiencing a similar trauma. 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.

A novel strategy that has recently been studied for reducing anxiety and resetting the interoceptive nervous system is flotation 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.

Float therapy has been shown to quickly reduce anxiety and stress levels, increase relaxation and even lead to lasting improvements in body image.

Ultimately, understanding the brain’s role in processing internal and external threats is vital to improving our mental and physical well-being.

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.

Being more in tune with our nervous system can help us better equip ourselves to face the challenges ahead—whether they’re true threats or false alarms.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.