If these symptoms sound familiar, you are not alone. The Mental Health Organisation estimates there were 8.2million cases of severe anxiety in the UK in 2013, with women more than twice as likely to suffer as men.
There are several things you can do to start overcoming feelings of anxiety, fear or panic.
- Eat Well - eat a balanced diet rich in vegetables, complex carbs and good protein, whilst limiting sugars and simple carbs (think white stuff, bread, cakes, cookies, etc). This will help balance your blood sugar which will leave you less prone to slumps in energy and mood.
- Practice relaxation - this can be in the form of exercise (yoga, tai chi), meditation, having a massage or simply breathing and getting in touch with your body to notice whereabouts you are physically holding the stress, and let it go
- Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake - even though these sometimes seem like a go to option, they both actually increase anxiety and disrupt hormones, leaving you vulnerable to energy and mood slumps
- Exercise - not only can exercise take your mind off your worries, it also releases endorphins in the body which increase feelings of wellbeing
- Face your fears - if you have an aversion to doing something, if possible try to find a way to do it anyway. That might sound glib, but by doing this you are avoiding creating a pattern where your anxiety can grow. Very often things will turn out to be not nearly as bad as you expected.
Coaching can help you face your fears, accept your vulnerability and enable you to move forward with more confidence. If your anxiety is getting the better of you and you want to do something about it, contact me