I Understand How It Feels
I was just a little girl, six years old, when I concluded that there was something inherently wrong with me that made me insignificant and unworthy of love. My self esteem was terrible. This belief system not only affected the way I saw myself, but it also affected the way I saw other people as well. I knew that if someone was nice to me, they were really just pretending, they didnt actually care about me because that just wasnt possible. And this has been the core, the foundation, of my belief system my whole life and I couldnt even imagine thinking any other way.
A few years ago, I looked back to find the source of my beliefs and examining it from an adult perspective with greater understanding, I realized that the conclusion I made as a child wasnt true. My entire belief system was actually built up around misunderstanding and misinterpreting events in my life, but that discovery didnt automatically solve all my problems. It didnt make me instantly like myself or feel loved, valued and confident. It was more like the sensation of having someone pull the rug out from under me. I felt confused and disoriented. After all, I had decades of habits and tons of accumulated evidence that supported my old way of thinking. Everything I had always believed to be true had to be right, right?
Aromatherapy And Essential Oils
Essential oils, the extract from plants, have been used for thousands of years to treat a number of conditions, including anxiety. Essential oils activate certain areas of your brain and release feel-good chemicals such as serotonin. They have been found to ease symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression, improve mood, and improve sleep.
Recommended use includes diffusing, inhalation, or topical treatment which can aid with anxiety symptoms. When diffusing an essential oil or essential oil blend you will need an essential oil diffuser to fill your space with the desired scent. Inhalation is used by deeply smelling the essential oil straight from the bottle or by applying a drop or two of the oil on something such as a diffuser pad or lava bead that is connected to a bracelet, necklace, or even keychain. You can also place a drop or two of essential oil into your hands, rub them together, then cup your hands and take a few deep inhalations to get the desired effect.
You should be sure that the essential oils you use are pure oils and not mixed with chemicals. Some good brands to use include: Mountain Rose Herbs, Plant Therapy, Young Living, Doterra. You can do your own research to find a brand that will best work for you and your budget. Remember that a bottle of essential oil will last a long time since you typically use only a few drops at a time.
Essential oils that are great for treating anxiety include:
- Lavender
- Vetiver
Laughing And Support Groups
While many believe that laughter is the best medicine, studies have already proven that laughing promotes many physical and mental health benefits. For instance, it can boost your immune system, can make your brain and muscles relax, can slow down the production of stress hormones, and can help the production of endorphins.
Plus, your support group may also provide their strategies in coping with such disturbing symptoms. Lastly, do not be afraid to talk to your doctor or mental health professional about what you are going through. They can provide or recommend therapy or medical intervention for your well-being.
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Take A Mental Step Back
Anxiety tends to be focused on the future, so instead, try to focus on the present. Tamar Chansky, Ph.D., psychologist and author of Freeing Yourself from Anxiety, suggests that you ask yourself what is happening and what, if anything, needs to be done right now. If nothing needs to be done now, make a conscious decision to revisit the situation later in the day, when you are calmer.
When Is My Anxiety Harmful
Identifying what sort of anxiety youre dealing with can be somewhat challenging because how ones body reacts to perceived danger can be entirely different compared to another person.
Its likely you heard anxiety as a blanket term for that general feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. Its often a feeling in response to an upcoming event that has an uncertain outcome.
Every person deals with it at one time or another, because its part of our brains response to a perceived danger even if that danger isnt real.
That said, there are times anxiety can get serious and turn into anxiety attacks that initially feel manageable and then gradually build up over a few hours.
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Name What Youre Feeling
When youre experiencing an anxious episode, you may not realize whats going on until youre really in the thick of it.
Recognizing anxiety for what it is may help you calm down quicker.
Name that this is anxiety not reality and that it will pass, says Kim Hertz, a psychotherapist at New York Therapy Practice. When you are in a heightened state of anxiety, you want to disrupt that cycle, and for some people, thought-stopping techniques are effective and as simple as saying stop to the internalized messaging that heightens anxiety.
In other words, consider recognizing that what youre feeling is anxiety and talking yourself through it.
Embrace absolute truths, says Steven Sultanoff, clinical psychologist and professor at Pepperdine University. I will get through this one way or another.
Naming your sensations and feelings may help you step away from them. This is anxiety, it is not you and it wont last forever.
Sleep With A Weighted Blanket
Studies have shown that using weighted blankets may help reduce experiences of anxiety. Research in this area has been limited, and further study is needed before weighted blankets become a clinically accepted remedy for anxiety. But for most people, there is little to no risk of trying weighted blankets to aid in anxiety. The sensation of lying under these blankets can be similar to receiving a hug.
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Vastu Quotes To Welcome Wealth And Increase Happiness In Your House
Everybody experiences anxiety sometimes. Its a natural response to scary or worrying situations, such as job interviews or first dates.
For some, feeling anxious is a daily occurrence. Its not related directly to a stressful event but is, instead, a constant feeling of low-level anxiety. When anxious thoughts and feelings are chronic and begin to affect an individuals life, its known as an anxiety disorder.
If youre somebody who has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder or a related anxiety disorder, it can be difficult to continue doing your usual activities. You might find that work becomes more difficult or social situations are more worrying than enjoyable.
There are things that you can do to ease your symptoms of anxiety, whether its logging into an app each day, talking to your friends and family, or eating a healthy diet. Below, weve discussed some of the best ways to lower your anxiety and reduce disruptions to your day-to-day life.
It’s Easy To Get The Care You Need
See a Premier Physician Network provider near you.
Stress and anxiety can take a toll on your energy and your positive outlook, whether you feel tension and dread occasionally or constantly. Health care providers can offer you treatment for an anxiety disorder, but you also can do some of your own self help.
Follow these tips to reduce your anxiety and bring your life into better balance.
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Discuss Reasonable Adjustments You Can Make
Reasonable adjustments changes to the workplace or the work practices of an employee that enable them to perform at work are a key part of any employee support system.
In some cases, very simple changes are all thats required to significantly reduce the anxiety a team member is experiencing.
So, where appropriate, work with employees experiencing anxiety, to discover the changes you can make to help them.
Examples of reasonable adjustments you could make include:
- Providing increased supervision
- Offering the option to work from home
- Changing the physical working environment
For further guidance and suggestions for reasonable adjustments you could make, read this article: 10 reasonable adjustments for employee mental health
Consider Quitting Smoking Cigarettes
Smokers often reach for a cigarette during stressful times. Yet, like drinking alcohol, taking a drag on a cigarette when youre stressed is a quick fix that may worsen anxiety over time.
has shown that the earlier you start smoking in life, the higher your risk of developing an anxiety disorder later. Research also suggests nicotine and other chemicals in cigarette smoke alter pathways in the brain linked to anxiety.
If youre looking to quit, there are lots of different ways you can get started. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends finding a safe substitute for cigarettes, like toothpicks.
You can also take up habits that may distract you in order to create an environment that works for your smoke-free life. Additionally, you can make a plan with a support system who can provide everything from encouragement to distractions.
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Ways To Reduce Employee Anxiety: Rounding Up
Workplace anxiety is prevalent and thats unlikely to change in the near future. So, its vital for leaders and employers to support their people now.
Employees remember how their organisations treated them in difficult times by providing the right support now, you will create a culture in which your people are less likely to experience work-related mental ill-health.
Ultimately, this means they can become a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.
Contingency Fund For Emergencies
The Contingency Fund for Emergencies allows WHO to respond rapidly to disease outbreaks and health emergencies–often in 24 hours or less. This saves lives and helps prevent unnecessary suffering. Furthermore, a quickresponse dramatically reduces the costs of controlling outbreaks and emergencies, as well as the wider social and economic impacts. The CFE is not earmarked, giving WHO the crucial flexibility, it needs to act quickly in response to disease outbreaks,natural disasters, and humanitarian emergencies.
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Tips To Relieve Stress And Anxiety
Being always anxious can be unhealthy, while until now, the stigma about mental health is still present. Yet, did you know that stress and anxiety are one of the mental disorders having the highest prevalence in the US?
As sighted by NIMH, around 19.1% of U.S. adults are suffering from an anxiety disorder, and most of them are females, which is 23.4% more than their opposite gender. Meanwhile, around 31.1% of US adults were reported to experience some symptoms of anxiety in their lives. As for the latest edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-V, anxiety disorders come with different types, but they share the same hallmark, which is the excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disturbances.
Anxiety and fear are different concepts. For instance, DSM-V differentiates fear as emotional response to a real or perceived imminent threat from anxiety, as the anticipation of future threat. Such disturbances can impact different areas of your functioning such as your school, work, and even your overall personal and social life. Thus, you may need some anxiety relief.
How To Calm Anxiety: 8 Natural Ways
Occasional anxiety is a normal human experience. Mild anxiety can occur before interviewing for a new job. A higher level of anxiety can occur from barely avoiding a car crash. And an even higher level may come with the loss of a loved one. There are also those people who experience anxiety persistently. However, learning how to calm anxiety is essential for your quality of life. Its also important to know what causes anxiety to determine the best way to alleviate it.
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Where To Get Help
For mild to moderate anxiety, these strategies might be enough to manage your symptoms. Still, it’s a good idea to discuss your efforts with your primary doctor, who can make more personalized suggestions about anxiety treatment without medication.
If these strategies don’t work, or if you have severe or worsening anxiety, talk to your doctor immediately. He or she will want to screen you for underlying medical conditions that could contribute to your anxiety. Your doctor might also recommend prescription medications or refer you to a mental health specialist for therapy.
Just remember that you’re not alone. Anxiety disorders are common and treatable. There’s no shame in seeking help, and nothing to gain by suffering in silence.
What Are Fear And Anxiety
Back when we lived in caves, we needed to constantly assess whether we were safe. A highly-tuned sensitivity to potential threats was necessary for survival. We dont experience the same kinds of stressors as we did thousands of years ago, but the response is pretty much the same.
Fear is the emotion we experience when we see a threat to our physical well-being or emotional well-being.
Our bodies and brains react to both kinds of threats in the same way. In other words, it makes no difference whether the threat is a physical, emotional, or social one. The alarm bells of the autonomic nervous system dont distinguish between public speaking and a saber-toothed tiger. In fact, many of us would prefer the latter.
Although unpleasant, fear is a healthy response. Our fight-or-flight response keeps us alive, safe, and thriving. When constant fear prevents you from living life to the fullest, though, it becomes anxiety.
On the surface, anxiety looks very much like fear. And they’re rooted in the same emotion. But anxiety occurs when fear becomes maladaptive .
Anxiety is when the fear response goes haywire. You may feel afraid all the time, overreact, or respond to triggers that dont actually pose a threat.
While fear is something that people experience regularly, anxiety should not be a part of your day-to-day life . Fear is an emotion, and anxiety is a mental health disorder.
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A Lust For Life Schools Programme
Our children are taught algebra in school yet few will ever use algebra in their future lives. They are not consistently taught how to take care of or talk about their own minds, yet all will use their minds 24/7 and, at some point, feel anxious, overwhelmed or maybe find themselves in crisis. Thats why we created the A Lust for Life Schools Programme, a Netflix style platform that enables our children to access engaging mental health content in an accessible, fun and scalable way
How To Calm Your Anxiety Naturally
When it comes to knowing how to manage anxiety, there are multiple natural approaches. Furthermore, different treatments will apply to different types of anxiety. These include:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder : Symptoms include exaggerated and persistent worry and tension, even when there is nothing to provoke it.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder : Symptoms include recurrent and unwanted thoughts , which are accompanied by repetitive actions to temporarily rid the obsessions.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder : Occurs after one experiences a terrifying event that results in grave physical or mental harm, such as abuse, violence, traumatic accidents or military combat.
- Social Phobias: Symptoms include excessive anxiety occurring in normal social situations. These phobias can be limited to only one fear or a generalized fear anytime one is around others. Specific social phobias include fear of crowds, fear of public speaking and fear of public restrooms.
Here are 8 ways to calm your anxiety naturally.
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Keep Your Blood Sugar In Check
Even if you don’t have diabetes, skipping meals or loading up on junk food can lead to blood sugar drops that make you irritable, jittery, and anxious. Try to eat three balanced meals and two snacks each day. Choose foods that are high in fiber, fruits and vegetables, nuts, small servings of lean meat, and low-fat milk or cheese. If you have diabetes, take your medications as prescribed.
Find What Relaxes You
There are already things in your life that relax you. You may find it beneficial to make a list of things you enjoy and that help you to relax so you can reference it when symptoms of anxiety arise. When you notice your anxiety rising turn to those activities to help stop symptoms before they escalate.
For example, if you find that a warm bath is relaxing, don’t wait, draw a bath, maybe light some candles or add a few nice scents and get in. Whether it’s a bath, a shower, skipping stones at a park, getting a massage – if it works, do it right away, rather than allowing yourself to become overwhelmed by your anxiety.
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The Effects Of Fear And Anxiety
Fear and anxiety often overlap. As noted above, they share many of the same symptoms. But someone that has anxiety will have a more sensitive fear trigger. Even situations that dont present an immediate threat may cause feelings of fear.
For example, imagine that you are in an office and see a group of coworkers chatting casually. This stimulus is fairly innocuous. However, if you have anxiety, you may begin to experience racing thoughts, nervousness, and have trouble saying hello to them. Do your coworkers pose a threat?
In this case, yes. There is no immediate threat or inherent danger your colleagues arent about to run you over or attack you . But if you, say, are concerned that they may be talking about you, youre responding to the perceived threat. Your response is appropriate for what might happen, not whats happening now.
So whats wrong with that? People gossip, right? And werent they probably talking about you? You wouldnt feel this way unless it were true, right? Not so fast.
We assume that our emotions are triggered in response to a certain stimulus. In other words, we react to whatever is happening around us, and we trust our emotions to give us feedback on what we see. However, thats not true.
Why this extra step? Through our experiences and learning, your brain has gotten quite good at predicting. Its helpful because a reactive brain would be too slow to get you out of danger efficiently.
Mind