Managing Anxiety
Urban Eco July 4, 2015
by Janette Ward
Hello Urbanites, this month I would like to share with you about anxiety and some ways to manage it.
Anxiety is something we all experience from time to time. Most people can relate to feeling tense, uncertain and perhaps fearful at the thought of sitting an exam, going into hospital, attending an interview or starting a new job. When everything goes well, the anxiety goes away.
However what can begin as normal anxiety can develop into something more serious, like an anxiety, panic or obsessional disorder. Causes for this can be based on past experiences, a fear of losing control or an unhealthy lifestyle (research is beginning to show links between experiencing anxiety and consuming sugar, caffeinated drinks and alcohol).
Evidence from The Mental Health Foundation shows that the number of cases of anxiety is growing in the UK, with 8.2 million people diagnosed in 2010.
A YouGov survey of 2,300 adults in Britain carried out for Mental Health Awareness Week 2014 revealed that 1 in 5 people feel anxious either all of the time or most of the time.
Anxiety affects not only the mind but also the body. Physical symptoms can be rapid breathing, feeling shaky, nausea, pounding heart or a headache. Psychological symptoms, can be feeling fearful, hyper alert, on edge, irritable, tearful and with difficulty relaxing or concentrating.
Experiencing anxiety can have a major impact on our lives. It can difficult to hold down a job, develop or maintain good relationships or simply enjoy leisure time.
Some suggestions about how to reduce anxiety to a more manageable level are:-
The most important thing is to be gentle and kind to yourself and treat yourself like you would someone you love.
Remember just like everyone else, you are an amazing and unique human being!
Urban Eco July 4, 2015
by Janette Ward
Hello Urbanites, this month I would like to share with you about anxiety and some ways to manage it.
Anxiety is something we all experience from time to time. Most people can relate to feeling tense, uncertain and perhaps fearful at the thought of sitting an exam, going into hospital, attending an interview or starting a new job. When everything goes well, the anxiety goes away.
However what can begin as normal anxiety can develop into something more serious, like an anxiety, panic or obsessional disorder. Causes for this can be based on past experiences, a fear of losing control or an unhealthy lifestyle (research is beginning to show links between experiencing anxiety and consuming sugar, caffeinated drinks and alcohol).
Evidence from The Mental Health Foundation shows that the number of cases of anxiety is growing in the UK, with 8.2 million people diagnosed in 2010.
A YouGov survey of 2,300 adults in Britain carried out for Mental Health Awareness Week 2014 revealed that 1 in 5 people feel anxious either all of the time or most of the time.
Anxiety affects not only the mind but also the body. Physical symptoms can be rapid breathing, feeling shaky, nausea, pounding heart or a headache. Psychological symptoms, can be feeling fearful, hyper alert, on edge, irritable, tearful and with difficulty relaxing or concentrating.
Experiencing anxiety can have a major impact on our lives. It can difficult to hold down a job, develop or maintain good relationships or simply enjoy leisure time.
Some suggestions about how to reduce anxiety to a more manageable level are:-
- Get to know your anxiety - accept it, don’t fight it. Observe what is happening to you. How you think, feel and behave. Notice what your triggers are and your early warning signs, so that you can better equip yourself to reduce its effects. Be mindful. Accepting what is happening without judgements. The more willing you are to face your fears, the less intense they will become. Label your anxiety level from 0 to 10 and watch it go up and down. Notice that it comes in waves and does not remain at a very high level for long.
- Talk to someone you trust – a friend or perhaps aCounsellor, Psychotherapist or Cognitive Behavioural Therapist.
- Write about how you are feeling
- Do some physical activity i.e. a brisk walk in nature, go for a run, visit a gym, yoga etc
- Distract yourself with something you enjoy e.g. read, listen to music, a relaxing CD, crosswords, paint, watch a film etc
- Breathing exercises
- Try and get some perspective by asking yourself ‘what is the worst thing that could happen and if that happens I’ll do .....’
- Positive self-talk i.e. ‘whatever happens I can handle it’ or ‘this too shall pass’ perhaps creating your own positive statement to repeat
- Remind yourself that you have experienced anxiety before and you got through it
- Attend a Wellness Recovery Action Plan course and develop your own WRAP planwww.circleswork.co.uk
- Attend support groups or online groups
- Medication can help, also vitamin supplements
- Have a healthy lifestyle which includes eating healthy food and having a good sleep routine
- Complimentary Therapies can be really helpful, they could include:- Taking Rescue Remedy; Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT); Meditation; Focusing; Visualisation; Reflexology; Bach Flower Remedies like Rescue Remedy; Herbalism; Homeopathy; Aromatherapy; Massage etc
- Learn more about anxiety e.g. at mind.org.uk or mentalhealth.org.ukThere is help out there which includes:-
Guideline – Mind in Bradford’s helpline 01274 594594 mind.org.uk
No Panic – helpline 0844 967 4848 nopanic.org.uk
Anxiety UK – helpline 08444 775 774 anxietyuk.org.uk
Samaritans – helpline 08457 90 90 90 samaritans.org
The most important thing is to be gentle and kind to yourself and treat yourself like you would someone you love.
Remember just like everyone else, you are an amazing and unique human being!