Five tips on coping with Anxiety

How do people know if what they are experiencing is anxiety? Some signs are having trouble getting off to sleep at night because of racing thoughts or avoiding social situations because they make their heart race and the palms of their hands sweat. Many of us can feel overcome with complete dread at the very thoughts of speaking to strangers in public or being in public places. The truth is sometimes people may not realise that what they are feeling are the symptoms of anxiety.

Having had suffered with Anxiety for many years myself in the past I remember clearly the turning point in my life. I spent one night in the A&E convinced I was having a heart attack. Having had all medical conditions ruled out over time I knew I needed help but I wasn’t sure were else to turn. After speaking with a Doctor he suggested I spoke to a therapist. I didn’t realise that what I had been feeling had been panic attacks brought on by chronic anxiety. Eventually I made contact with a Counsellor and after a few months of attending therapy weekly I began to make changes in my life. Keeping a diary of my anxiety had really helped me to see patterns in when it occurred and learn what triggered it. Eventually over time I overcame my anxiety.

I would like to share some tips which I found useful and some tips which clients I have worked with have also said they found useful in their feedback.

Anxiety can manifest In many ways, and take many forms, this is something that I will look at over a number of weeks in different posts.

Five tips on living and coping with Anxiety

• Try to identify what triggers off this Anxiety. This can be done by Keeping a diary of what happens when we are feeling anxious, giving us some insight into what it is that triggers these experiences. When we get an idea of the situations which trigger our anxiety we can begin to take our power back.

• Try to become familiar with the physical symptoms when anxious. How am I in the here and now? These physical symptoms can include a racing heart, frequent bathroom trips, sweaty palms, muscle tension, trouble sleeping, dry mouth and dizziness.

• Try a guided progressive muscular relaxation meditation. Some of these can be found on YouTube. They work well because when we are feeling anxious we can sometimes notice a lot of muscle tension within our bodies, neck etc. By using a PMR this can have the reverse affect helping us to relax our muscles and calm our minds.

• Exercise. Studies on the affect of exercise on anxiety have shown that it can help with decreasing levels of anxiety. Exercise releases good endorphin’s which help to lift our mood.

• Avoid Caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol can have a negative impact on our levels of anxiety. The next day after a few drinks can really be a difficult one for people.

If someone’s anxiety has reached a point whereby it is getting really difficult to handle then they should consider getting in touch with someone who has experience in helping people with anxiety. Anxiety becomes a problem when it is hard to control and interferes with people’s quality of life.

Anxiety is something which with the right techniques and some work can be very treatable. It is something which built up over time and it will also take time to deconstruct.

I never thought I would overcome my anxiety but I did. Now I put myself out there regularly without being crippled with fear. You can do that too. I am always happy to help if you would like to pick up the phone and give me a call.

People begin to heal when they feel heard. Take back the power.

Catherine

Phone: 085 106 9066
info@psychotherapyireland