What's wrong with Barbie?

In 2023, the color pink illuminated the streets of hundreds of cities around the world, songs like “Pink” by Lizzo and “Dance The Night” by Dua Lipa sounded around every corner. Mattel dolls had an impressive revival among people of all ages, and Barbie became the most important film of the year for its ability to connect with the public. La The protagonist, characterized by Margot Robbie, made us laugh, cry and applaud. But perhaps one of the most important reasons why this film made us feel so many things is because Barbie embodied a problem that affects millions of people around the world: anxiety.

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For Barbie, it all started with a “do you also think about death?”, a question that many people living with generalized anxiety disorder are also likely to ask themselves. The thing is that this condition involves excessive and constant worry that interferes with all daily activities. Barbie's daily tasks may only involve going to the beach, dancing at big parties and having sleepovers with her friends, but even those activities can become extremely complicated when living with anxiety.

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In Barbie we can find perfectly illustrated some of the most common symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. The dazzling wrist feels nervous, has trouble focusing on something beyond her worries, has a sense of imminent danger, feels that she is losing control, and feels distanced from activities that previously seemed fun to her. However, other symptoms Barbie was likely to experience were sweating, uncontrollable tremors, trouble breathing, chest pain, heart palpitations, dizziness, fainting, suffocation, numbness, hot flashes, chills, nausea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and gastrointestinal difficulties.

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If you've seen the movie, then you know how Barbie did it to transform her life and reduce the symptoms caused by her disorder. However, not all of us have the privilege of living in a rose-colored world. If you, like Barbie, are constantly thinking about death and your anxiety is preventing you from enjoying your life, here are some tips:

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1. Avoid alcohol, coffee and drugs: Although the time is very pleasant, alcohol, coffee, tobacco and other drugs can cause a significant increase in anxiety. Have you ever noticed that you feel worse after a party, drinking a caffeinated cup, or smoking a cigarette? Maybe it's time to give up these substances.
2. Stay Healthy: Sleeping well, exercising and eating healthy are activities that help us reduce stress, improve our mood and feel good. Even though this recommendation is as old as the wheel, it's still one of the most effective ways to help increase our emotional well-being.
3. Use relaxation strategies: Meditation, yoga, breathing and visualization techniques are incredible tools to save us in a time of crisis. Before you hit the ground like Barbie when your anxiety gets too strong, try breathing and meditating for a few minutes.
4. See a psychiatrist: In some cases, generalized anxiety disorder can be extremely debilitating, so it is advisable to see a psychiatrist to evaluate the possibility of prescribing medication to reduce symptoms.
5. Download Mindsurf: If Barbie had downloaded our app to her phone, there would probably be no movie.

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In Mindsurf, we have a specialized program for helping people who suffer from anxiety, plus individual therapy sessions, support groups, guided meditations, and much more!

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^Sources:

^{https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350967}

^{https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders}

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