I believe it is important to understand that anxiety is a normal emotion which we can all experience. There are many life events that can lead to anxious feelings such as exam pressure, relationships, starting a new school, university, or job, leaving a job, becoming a parent, not being able to meet our basic needs such as financial pressures.
It is when it takes over and becomes your driver that it can become a mental health problem. Anxiety can be managed though, there are many ways in which this can be done but in this BLOG I think the key message is to understand when you are experiencing anxiety.
How would I know if I am suffering from anxiety ?
Anxiety can be noticed usually by the level of worrying you do and the impact it has on your everyday life. It would be noticeable if you are unable to let go of your worries, and they become consuming. Anxiety may start preventing you from carrying out certain activities.
You might notice that you are doing something called ruminating, where a thought goes round and round in your mind. You find that you are not able to let go of it, and it might be added to, making the worry feel bigger.
Anxiety can be noticed when you worry about things such as your job, health and how you are going to manage the balance of things in your life. This can bring stress and a feeling of being overwhelmed.
Anxiety can be physical too !
Anxiety may be noticed through how you are physically feeling. You might find that you are lying awake unable to sleep through worry.
You may experience sensations such as butterflies in your tummy or experiencing lightheaded or dizziness. You might notice that your heart beats faster, irregularly or experience palpitations.
You may lose your appetite, feel easily fatigued, you might find you are more easily irritable, and you feel like hiding away.
It is important to go to speak to someone if these become persistent and not suffer alone.
Let’s hit the brakes !
There are some ways in which you can help lower your anxiety.
When possible, take some time out, keep your energy reserves topped up. Experiencing anxiety often means that your body is on high alert which is tiring.
Eating well balanced meals, not only helps you physically but also mentally too. Limiting things such as caffeine and sugar can help to relax the body.
Rest is important for the body to recharge itself. Anxiety can interfere with sleep so trying to get as much sleep as you can is important. If you are finding it hard to get to sleep or stay asleep think about ways in which you can change your bedtime routine which might be helpful.
Through understanding the triggers of your anxiety, you will be able to stay more in control of it. Recognising that it is anxiety that is at the cause of some of your feelings, actions and behaviours can be helpful to understand what might help to manage it.
One of the areas I work with is anxiety management and therefore if you feel this is something that you would like some support through counselling with please do get in touch, [email protected]