Anxiety is one of the most unsettling and unnerving experiences and can cause extreme distress. It is something that can be worked with in depth in psychotherapy as well as doing other things to support psychotherapy.
- Do you ever have a sick feeling in your stomach that something is wrong, but you don’t know where it’s coming from?
- You might even have a name for it – recognise that it’s anxiety but it follows you, without you’re really being able to put your finger on why it’s there?
- You might on the other hand know exactly what’s going on, but you don’t know what to do about it.
Symptoms of Anxiety
- Depression (which often occurs with an anxiety disorder) or other mental health disorders
- Substance misuse
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- Digestive or bowel problems
- Headaches and chronic pain
- Social isolation
- Problems functioning at school or work
- Poor quality of life
- Suicide
- Experiencing just one of the above symptoms alone, especially if it is mild, may give you little cause for concern.
Often hearing these symptoms out loud can alert you to the fact that you are more, or less anxious than you thought you were!
In any case…
If you feel that your symptoms are starting to intrude upon your life and impact your sense of wellbeing here’s 5 things that you can do.
Talk to a trusted other
Seek out someone to talk to who you trust to know and understand you. When we are anxious, and depressed, one of the most significant things that we lose is connection.
Doona therapy
- Wrap yourself up in a doona
- Snuggle up in bed
- Whilst snuggled, watch a movie, read a book or do nothing, just be snuggled up to yourself
Warm Bath
- Run a warm bath and add 1kg of Epsom Salts into it at the end and soak.
- Light candles, scented if you like, and place them around the bath
- Add 3 drops of lavender oil into the bath once you have stopped running it
- Put your favourite music on that makes you feel relaxed
Colouring in
Either draw your own pictures or doodle and colour in or buy a
mindfulness colouring in book and some coloured pencils if you don’t have any
Meditation and Relaxation Techniques
Meditation and breathing is often recommended but for some this can increase anxiety, because the minute tyou get still, all of your anxious thoughts flood into your mind. If this is the case for you, I would suggest that this is not helpful and recommend that for the time being, you find another way.
On the other hand if mediation is useful, I would recommend this, either guided, which you can find on youtube or alternatively unguided if this suits you.
Walk in nature
This can be very helpful, just to get yourself moving. Sometimes anxious energy lodges deep in the cells and tissues. Just moving in an environment that is filled with scents, sounds and colours that harmonise and relax can be very therapeutic.
If you feel that you need a more structured approach you may need to consult a therapist.
Therapy
You can:
- Go to a doctor and get a mental health plan to see a psychologist
- Find a psychotherapist or counsellor independently.
- Find a government funded service like lifeline or Beyond Blue if you are unable to fund your own therapy
Understand that your nervous system is currently very unsettled, which is what anxiety is about. There are many ways that you can choose to settle yourself and everyone has a different and unique way of calming themselves down. Here are some suggestions
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If you need a more structured approach, get in touch for a free 15 minute consult.
Laura Wilson is a psychotherapist who works with adults, adolescents and children. Her training is in The Conversational Model with ANZAP, the Australian and New Zealand Association for Psychotherapy that is affiliated with Westmead Hospital’s School of Psychological Medicine. Laura is also a qualified Allied Healthcare Practitioner with a particular focus on mental health, well-being and complementary medicine. She holds a Bachelor of Health Science in which she studied Neurophysiology, Holistic Counselling, Herbal Medicine and Nutrition.