Managing Anxiety

In a recent survey by the Mental Health Foundation, 25% of people reported experiencing a level of anxiety over the cost of living that stopped them from doing their usual things some or all of the time.

Anxiety is our body’s natural response to stress, pressure or perceived danger. In cave-dwelling times, our primitive brains triggered this response to get out of life-threatening situations. This is called the flight, flight, freeze response, and it helped us work out whether to fight the bear, run away from it, or play dead until it moved on.

Anxiety is a normal emotion that we experience when we face changes in our lives, such as alterations in our work situation, a big life event, or worsened relationships with others. It can often be described as a feeling of unease, fear or even dread and it can manifest itself physically, emotionally or behaviourally. Physical symptoms such as tiredness, restlessness, lack of sleep, dry mouth, aches and quickened heart rate are common. Psychologically we might feel frightened, detached, on edge, or unable to concentrate. Behaviourally we might start avoiding situations or people, or becoming more irritable and emotional. It's important that we manage our response to anxiety to make sure that it doesn’t get worse over time. We all respond to change and challenges in life differently, often influenced by our temperament, upbringing, experiences and environment, but there are steps we can all take to manage our anxiety levels. 1. Shift your focus Try recognising and challenging negative thoughts when they arise and replace with more positive ones Practice daily gratitude- focus on what you are/have and not what you aren’t/don’t- keep a gratitude diary Concentrate on what you can control and try to worry less about what you can’t – use the Control, Influence, Accept tool Visualise you being successful rather than you not coping 2. Become more aware Keep a diary of when you experience feelings of anxiety – do they occur at a particular time or place, or is there a trigger? Set aside a time in your day for ‘worry time’ – try to save your worrying for this time of day, and manage your worries at other times Learn more about anxiety and ways of managing it 3. Get comfortable with self-compassion Treat yourself as you would treat a friend – only say to yourself what you would say to a friend Practise mindfulness – direct yourself to your breath and stay in the present moment Write something positive to yourself – a letter or email, or a story about you

4. Practise self-care Focus on getting enough exercise, sleep, nourishing food and relaxation Cut down on anxiety-inducing practices like smoking and drinking Build your support network and relationships with others Use wellbeing apps such as Insight Timer, Calm, Headspace and Dare 5. Seek help Talk to friends and family See your GP, counsellor or mental wellbeing coach Visit websites: www.anxietyuk.org.uk, www.nhs.uk › mental-health-issues › anxiety Seek out support groups https://www.rethink.org/help-in-your-area/groups-in-your-area/ Contact a helpline: www.mental health.org.uk/get-help

Some useful resources NHS free mind plan https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/your-mind-plan-quiz/ Anxiety UK self-diagnosis quiz https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/get-help/about-anxiety-and-anxiety-disorders/ Anxiety map for young people https://www.youngminds.org.uk/media/eokb3zmp/anxiety-body-map.pdf Worry diary file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/MW-Worry-Diary-Design-V1-Interactive-30-08-2018.pdf