Anxiety

Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behaviour like pacing, somatic complaints, and rumination. It typically involves feelings of apprehension about future events, marked by “what-if” worries. While it can present with physical symptoms such as muscle tension, heart palpitations, sweating, dizziness, and shortness of breath, and emotional symptoms like restlessness or a sense of impending doom, anxiety is a natural and essential human experience. It serves a vital function by helping us to look ahead, organise ourselves, and gather the energy needed to get things done.

The main strategies for helping to relieve anxiety often involve changing one’s relationship with it rather than trying to eliminate it completely:

• Mindfulness and Acceptance: This approach encourages facing anxiety, rather than avoiding or controlling it, by paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Techniques include deep, belly breathing to instantly calm the brain and body, observing thoughts without getting caught in their content, and willingness to experience anxious feelings as they are.
• Lifestyle Adjustments: Regular physical exercise can significantly reduce anxiety by improving blood flow and balancing hormones. Ensuring adequate sleep is also crucial, as lack of it can exacerbate anxiety. A balanced diet, avoiding stimulants like caffeine and refined sugars, and focusing on complex carbohydrates, can also promote calmer moods.
• Cognitive Strategies: This involves challenging anxious thoughts by questioning their validity and reframing negative interpretations of situations. Identifying specific triggers that provoke anxiety is a key step. Sometimes, simply writing down worries can help to gain clarity and reduce their power.
• Behavioural Exposure: Gradually facing feared situations or internal sensations teaches the brain that these are not dangerous, which can reduce the anxiety response over time. This builds confidence and tolerance for discomfort.
• Havening Techniques: These involve applying gentle self-touch (to the arms, face, or hands) while recalling a distressing memory or feeling. This touch, combined with distractions like counting or humming, can help to reduce distress and build resilience.