We all feel different emotions when faced with different situations, it’s part of being human. When you were late for work because your alarm didn’t work, it’s okay to be frustrated. If you lost a loved one to a disease, it’s a typical reaction to grieve. And when you’re about to take an exam which can make or break your career, most of the time, you’d be anxious. And while it’s normal to be anxious at times, it can be very uncontrollable and can affect your decisions and your well being. To prevent this from happening, there are some techniques you can utilise to reduce the impact of anxiety.

Consider the natural ways to keep your mind calm during anxious times:

1. Write down what you feel: When you’re anxious, you might think that no one can understand what you feel that’s why you end up keeping everything to yourself. Doing this might be an easy way out for you but keeping all of your emotions can worsen your anxiety in the long run. That’s when writing can help you. When you feel anxious, write everything you feel in your own journal. This will be an avenue for you to release your emotions in a healthy manner, while allowing you to determine which could possibly trigger this emotion.
2. Talk to someone who understands: Some of your family and friends understand what you’re going through. Determine who these people are and when you feel like anxiety is slowly taking over you, call them and talk to them. Be open as possible and let them know what you’re going through. You’ll not only feel good after talking to them but you’ll also gain pieces of advice from these people which can help you battle anxiety.
3. Find your own mantra: There’ll be times when you’ll act out depending on your emotions – and most often than not, you’ll soon regret doing any of these. You can avoid committing this mistake by finding your own mantra. For some people, they would count 1-10 when they’re on the verge of a panic attack. Others would take three deep breaths before saying or doing anything when they’re anxious. You can mimic these but you can also come up with your own. Look for a mantra you’re comfortable with and stick to it when you’re at the peak of your anxiety.
4. Take the time to walk: One of the reasons why you’re experiencing anxiety is because of the adrenaline buildup in your body. If you don’t do anything about it, you’ll experience anxiety for longer periods of time. You can use all the extra adrenaline in your body by walking or doing any kind of physical activities. You’ll have the time to think things through and relieve yourself from stress – it’s a win-win for you!
5. Listen to music: Songs are linked to your emotions which can be a very effective stress management tool. It can soothe your emotions to prevent your anxiety from worsening. So when you feel like your mind is going haywire because of a business presentation which will start in minutes, grab your iPod and listen to your favorite songs.
6. Have some time alone: And while the company of friends and family are fun to be with it, being alone when you’re anxious can bring several benefits to your well-being. When you’re alone, you’ll have the time to assess your actions and decisions. So the moment you’re anxious, go to the gym alone or visit your favorite novelty store. Take a walk in the park and bask in the moment of being alone. Look for activities which you enjoy doing alone so your anxiety levels will decrease.

These tips might work and not work for different people. And if you see yourself experience the latter, you can always work with professionals like a Naturopath or a Psychologist such as those at Endeavour Wellness.

Too much of anything is harmful – and how your mind is affected during anxious times is no exemption. It’s normal to feel anxious when you’re faced with a situation where you’re not prepared, but too much of it can disrupt your daily functions. When you’re always anxious, you’ll end up making rash decisions. Learn how to keep your mind calm during anxious times by using this article. And don’t worry if you can’t get it right the first time; managing your emotions will take time and practice.

Joel Curtis

Joel Curtis is a registered Psychologists with Endeavour Wellness and has over 17 years of experience. Joel holds a Masters’ Degree in Psychology from Western Sydney University. Joel owns a number of private practices in Sydney and provides expert content for several national TV and Radio programmes.

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Health & Wellbeing Podcast #25

After almost a year, I finally bring to you another podcast episode. 2017 has been a big year for me in many ways: Clinic has been busy, I have been working as a lecturer at Endeavour College of Natural Health and also being a Mum. This has all meant that podcast creation has been put on the back burner. But I return with a wonderful episode for you, The Anxious and Sick Merry-Go-Round.

Some of you may feel frustrated, if you feel like you are doing all the right things but your health issues don’t seem to be resolving. Every one of you are individuals and have individual reasons for why you are stuck. However, if you suffer from a tendency to be anxious this may be the reason you aren’t resolving your health issues. Research shows that if you have anxiety you are highly likely to also have thyroid disease, respiratory disease, gastrointestinal disease, arthritis, migraine headaches and allergic conditions.

I’ve invited my next guest to talk to you about the link between anxiety and health issues. Kimberly Charlotte Vucurovic is a psychology trained clinical naturopath who specialises in treating anxiety related health issues. She has worked in the field of natural medicine for 18 years. She runs a busy practice, is an academic lecturer at Endeavour College of Natural Health and is continuing her research by currently completing an Honours in Psychology.

I feel this episode may be an ‘A-ha!’ moment for many people, allowing you to connect the pieces of your health together by understanding the way that anxiety and stress can feed into other health issues, and be fed by other health issues. (And of course, we couldn’t get through an episode without talking about gut health 😉 )

You can connect with Kimberly on her website www.thenmc.com.au and Youtube.

iPhone   Stitcher   Youtube   Soundcloud  Spotify 

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