This week we are celebrating mental health awareness week and this year’s theme is anxiety. Anxiety is something that occurs when we are feeling worried or uneasy, and everyone experiences it at some point in their life. However, it can be much more intense for other people, and they may find it difficult to control it which can lead to a mental health issue.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a mental health condition that affects 6 in 100 people in the UK. Anxiety is when someone has that feeling of dread and uneasiness about a certain outcome and people who have anxiety will have reoccurring thoughts of concerns of what might happen. There are a lot of things that can cause anxiety including starting a new job, meeting new people, lack of sleep or finance troubles. Anxiety can also effect you physically. Some symptoms include:
- Fatiguing will become worse
- Your sleep and appetite may be affected
- The urge to go to the toilet will happen more often
Ways to tackle anxiety
Living with anxiety can be troublesome for people but there are ways for you to help deal with anxiety…
Talk to someone.
Speak to someone about your anxious feelings and they might give you some advice or some reassurance that can give you some relief or refer you to services that can support you.
Try some breathing exercises.
When you are relaxed and calm you normally breathe slowly and gentle, if you copy a relaxed breathing pattern it will relax the nervous system and bring you into a relaxed state.
Make sure you are getting enough sleep.
Lack of sleep can be a cause to your anxiety, try to stick to a routine and get in bed earlier. Try and not go on phones or laptops while you are in bed as it can affect how long you wind down. Putting the phone away 1 hour before bed can help you wind down a lot easier.
Stay in the present moment.
Anxiety can let your mind go into a future that doesn’t even exist yet. Try and stay in the present moment by putting your phone away for a few minutes and go for a 15-minute walk.
