Tuesday 27 February 2018

How To Overcome Anxiety

People experience anxiety in  different ways. For some, it is a rush of thoughts running through their mind. For others it is a racing heart or a feeling of dread in their stomach. Others feel tense, hot and sweaty. However you experience anxiety, it is a very unpleasant sensation.

The Biology Of Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural state and is part of our autonomic nervous system (ANS). Our autonomic nervous system keeps us alive, without us having to consciously be aware of things. For example, our autonomic nervous system controls our breathing, heart rate, digestion etc.

The part of our ANS which causes anxiety is the "Sympathetic Nervous System," also called the "Fight Or Flight" response.

Like all parts of our ANS, the Fight Or Flight response was designed to keep us safe. Thousands of years ago, it would have kicked in when humans were in genuine danger, such as fighting with a neighbouring tribe or running from a predator. In these situations, the fight or flight response is perfect. It releases adrenaline, makes you hyper-alert, increases your heart rate and breathing rate so you have more oxygen to run or fight. The system was perfectly designed to cope with short term dangers, in which running or fighting was the correct response. However, our biology has not kept up with the changes in our lifestyles. Nowadays, people perceive threats as things like, not being accepted socially, failing an exam, public speaking or having a short timeframe to get a project completed. Our brain perceives these problems as a threat and activates the sympathetic nervous system, which reacts in the only way it knows how, by releasing adrenaline, stimulating blood flow, increasing sweating and blood flow to the face (blushing). Unfortunately this physical response is completely inappropriate in most modern day situations.

So, you can see the mind body interaction here. The mind has a thought, (e.g. I'll make a fool of myself giving a presentation at work and everyone will judge me negatively), and this stimulates the physical response of anxiety.

Thankfully there are some easy strategies to overcome anxiety.


1. Cut out caffeine

Having worked with hundreds of anxious clients, I have seen what a huge difference simply cutting out caffeine makes. Switch to decaf since this is now available in most places. Often we feel as though we need a coffee. However, what we actually need is a hot drink and switching to decaf will still satisfy that need. Beware that caffeine is also in a lot of green teas and soft drinks such as diet coke.

2. Push your boundaries

When a situation makes us feel anxious we tend to avoid it. This creates a momentary feeling of relief, which acts as a positive reinforcement. This can lead to avoidance of other situations in which you used to feel comfortable. Imagine you have a circle of comfort around you. Within the circle are the situations you feel comfortable with. Towards the edge of the circle are situations which cause you to feel a little nervous. Outside of the circle are the situations you actively avoid. The problem with avoidance, is that your circle of comfort gradually shrinks, until you become very limited. The way to overcome this is to push your comfort circle. Every day do something which is a little scary for you. Each time you do this, feel proud of yourself. Over time you will become more confident.

3. Practice mindfulness techniques

Incorporating relaxation, mindfulness or meditation techniques, into your life massively increases your ability to cope with the stresses of every day life. A great meditation app is Headspace. You can also read more on mindfulness here.


4. Download my hypnotic Wash Away Stress MP3

This hypnotic MP3 is one of my most popular. It will enable you to manage your stress levels and to feel calmer every day. You can purchase it here.