Stop anxiety taking over your life

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry or fear. There are several types of anxiety including generalised anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, and various phobias. 

It’s normal to feel anxious sometimes. It’s how we respond to feeling threatened, under pressure or stressed out. However, anxiety can be a problem if it is ongoing, intense, hard to control or out of proportion to the situation you are experiencing. 

You are not alone

If you struggle with anxiety, it’s important to know that you are not alone. The research shows that: 

• Over 8 million people in the UK are experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time.

• 60% of employees in the UK experience workplace anxiety.

• Young people aged 16 to 29 years are most likely to have anxiety. 

Causes of anxiety disorders

Many different factors can lead to, trigger and aggravate anxiety disorders. Examples include genetics, ‘learning’ anxious behaviour from others, negative/traumatic experiences, chronic health conditions, negative self-talk, money worries, job loss, stress, conflict, toxic relationships, loneliness, bullying and stimulants/medication. 

How to tell if you are suffering from an anxiety disorder

You may be experiencing some of the symptoms below.

Mental & emotional symptoms:

• Sense of dread 

• Believe the worst will happen

• Recurring intrusive thoughts

• worried racing thoughts

• All-or-nothing thinking

• Nervous, apprehensive, on edge or panicky

• Difficulty concentrating

• Irritable, impatient or uptight

• Can't relax / switch off

• Overwhelmed

• Thoughts like… I’m going to die, I’m not safe, I can’t cope, something bad is going to happen plus a series of 'what if' questions.

Physical symptoms:

• Restlessness

• Dizzy or faint

• Shortness of breath 

• Hyperventilating/panic attacks

• Tight chest/butterflies in stomach

• Heart palpitations 

• Trembling

• Nausea 

• Sweating

• Tense muscles

• Sleep problems.

Ten ways you can get control over your anxiety

1. Goal setting and planning: Having structure, direction, a routine, and actionable steps to follow can help reduce uncertainty. 

2. Do breathing exercises: I am a fan of square breathing. Breathe in for four (visualise walking along one side of a square), breathe out for four (as you walk along the next side) and repeat.

3. Meditate: This is a great tool for relaxing and focusing the mind. If you are new to meditation you can find plenty of guided meditation recordings on the internet.

4. Practice mindfulness: Try the 5 4 3 2 1 grounding method (find five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. 

5. Keep a journal: Writing down thoughts and feelings enhances your self-awareness and helps you to identify unhelpful patterns so you can take action.

6. Exercise regularly: 3o minutes of moderate physical exercise a day can work wonders. This could be something as simple as a brisk walk.

7. Make sleep a priority: Deep sleep helps the brain to better regulate our emotions. It's also easier to cope with life's challenges when you feel well-rested!

Getting help from a professional

It’s important that you do things to help yourself, however, if your anxiety is moderate to severe then do consider getting in touch with a professional healthcare provider. Whether it be your doctor, a therapist or speaking to someone on a mental health-related helpline. 

Homeopathy is yet another avenue that you can explore, particularly if you are interested in going down the holistic route. We'll explore the root cause of your mental health challenges and examine the mental, emotional and physical impacts in detail. Your prescription (remedies derived from natural substances) will be bespoke to you and take into account the unique way in which you are experiencing what is happening for you. 

Please don't suffer in silence. Get in touch and let's have a chat! Online sessions are available. 

Sources:
Exploring mindfulness and the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding activity

https://www.ons.gov.uk/
https://www.myndup.com/blog/mental-health-statistics-2023

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20180328140249/http:/digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB21748
NIMH » Anxiety Disorders (nih.gov)