Anxiety is an emotional state where we experience uncomfortable and tense feelings. Most people associate anxiety negatively,however, we need a certain amount to function in our daily lives. Anxiety can help motivate us, it gives us a sense of urgency, helps us prepare, and aides in protecting ourselves.
Anxiety becomes a problem when it causes disruption and has a negative impact on your daily life at work, socially or school. You may begin to experience both mental and physical symptoms such as an inability to relax, difficulties concentrating, excessively worrying, difficulties sleeping, fatigue, an inner tension, physically trembling, sweating, or nausea.
As anxiety increases you may also feel a loss of control, which then can lead to fear and change to your routine. Have you every become so anxious that you called in sick to work? Have you begun to avoid certain places or people? If so, anxiety may be becoming a disruption to your daily life. With the increase in social media, every day we are besieged on television, computers, and our mobiles with disturbing images and stories. Most recently, we have been subjected to shootings in the United States, various terrorist attacks here in the United Kingdom, as well as other attacks around the World. We may or may not have been directly involved or affected by one of these incidents, however the news coverage can become overwhelming for some.
Again, anxiety can increase awareness of our surroundings, to help protect us, however what happens if you start to avoid certain areas of a city such a city centres, trains, undergrounds, or even airplanes? Of course there are no guarantees that we can remain 100% safe at all times and when politicians and the public get together after an unexpected and horrific event and say, “business as usual and we won’t let it defeat us” it can be difficult to think about carrying on as normal, especially if your journey to work is in the same locality of the big City where an attack took place.
However, there are no certainties in life, sometimes you hear of a victim saying if only they had taken a different path, they might not have been run over or their family member might not have been on a plane that crashed. Elements of guilt, remorse, and helplessness may begin to creep into your daily life as well. Thus, dealing with anxiety is about regaining a sense of control and being able to function, in the moment, in an uncertain world, and use coping mechanisms to help you retain a sense of balance when it can all seem just too much. There are many self-help options available to you. These coping mechanisms can be used very powerfully and effectively in many situations such as difficult relationship or work situations, not just being caught up in a one in a million scenario, awful and life changing though that is, it is very unlikely to happen to you.
When self help is not working this is when you may need to seek the help of a trained professional such as a psychotherapist or psychologist. We are are trained to offer not just support, but a safe environment where you can explore your fears and anxieties. We can provide you with skills and techniques to help you take back control of your anxiety, and ultimately take control back of your life.