I’m so excited, I’m so excited, I’m so. . . scared?
By: Abe Valdez, Facilitator/Marketing Manager
Reflecting upon the first quarter of 2025, it seems the world has been through a lot. From wars, to fires, extreme weather, and a new administration in the White House, there’s a lot to keep up with. It’s natural to have emotions about all these things, not to mention whatever else you may have going on in your life weaved in there too. Change isn’t easy.
I found the first two weeks of February 2025 rough on my mental health. There were too many changes happening at what seemed like lightning speed. I couldn’t keep up! I was in the red zone; what we teach in our training is that this requires immediate attention. I wasn’t going to harm myself; I just couldn’t control my emotions. I was experiencing a panic attack. My go-to techniques for calming myself weren’t working. Deep breathing, nope, dunking my head in cold water, nope, trying to meditate and find a ‘happy place’, couldn’t get there. I was flipping out!
On this particular day, I was mildly hyper ventilating and could not stop crying. Imagine that one scene from the hit 90s show Saved by the Bell, where Zack Morris enters Jessie Spano’s room where she lay sleeping in her workout clothes, exhausted. Jessie had been taking on a lot in this episode; exams and her new pop girl group with Lisa & Kelly. Zack wakes her up to remind her their band is about to sing at The Max. She’s clearly drained and confused. She ends up being triggered/activated because “..there’s never any time..” to do anything. It’s a great view into mental health and substance used to cope with the stressors of life. I was Jessie in that moment (replace the caffeine pills with coffee though).
I couldn’t calm myself down, I didn’t have a Zack in my moment of need, nor immediate social support around. I tried texting my husband as a distraction to the onslaught of misery and overwhelm flowing through me. It worked for all of 5 seconds. However, during that brief moment, some of the cloudiness subsided. I finally took a breath and realized I was thirsty. I hadn’t checked in with myself all day. I hadn’t eaten nor drank water. All that crying on a stomach full of coffee and no solids can have negative effects on your mind & body.
I needed water.
Standing in front of my kitchen sink, I filled a glass with water. I just focused on my senses, trying to forget everything else and just be present in the moment with a glass of water.
The sunshine flowing through the kitchen window is always a lovely sight. Grateful that I get to have a filtered water faucet. Excited about quenching my thirst. I grab the tall clear glass to fill up. Feeling it’s icy temperature gripped tightly in my right hand. In no time, it’s filled 3/4s of the way. As I lift the glass to my mouth, I feel the weight of it move from my hand to elbow. I rest the glass edge on my lips & start to raise it up. As the water poured in I felt an instant coldness flooding the dry terrain that was my mouth. I could feel the heat subside. Is this regulating me?
As I sipped and just focused on my senses, I could feel myself starting to calm more. It was as if the water washed away all the clouds that were surrounding me that day. I could see the sun again! It diluted the misery, sadness, and anxiousness that was once flowing through me. Wow, what a relief, I thought. This was a new technique I had learned in the Men’s Survivor Group I attend at the Rape Crisis Center of Central NM. I didn’t think drinking water would help with my mental health nor regulate my emotions, but there I was, experiencing it all.
Knowing multiple self-care techniques and regulating your emotions is key in day to day life. Sometimes your go-to’s may not be sufficient enough but I encourage you to reach out to loved ones you feel safe with and/or try different self-care techniques. Although there are some health benefits associated with drinking coffee:
“Consuming too much caffeine can have toxic effects on the human body, including anxiety, restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, excitement, pacing, or excessive fidgeting and agitation. These effects can begin with as little as 1.2 grams or three of Starbucks’ largest brews.” According to the June 2021 article by Psychology Today, Drinking coffee is actually Good for You.
This glass of water technique worked for me in that moment, but it may or may not work in the future. Similarly, it may or may not work for you. Give it a try if you think it may be helpful. Experimenting with different techniques and being mindful of your diet is helpful in learning what works for you in regulating your emotions.
I challenge you not only to research & learn about new self-care/regulating techniques but also start that conversation with loved ones and share that information. Then encourage them to have their own conversations, and so on. You never know who may need to hear it. These conversations are what help end the stigma.
“It’s all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self-love deficit.” — Eartha Kitt
Resources:
Self-Care 101 – Psychology Today
