Anxiety is something I commonly work with in the therapy room and it comes in different forms:
Generalised Anxiety: Excessive worry about many different things
Social Phobia: A fear of the judgments of others
Panic: A fear that something terrible will happen (dying/ losing control)
Impact
Up to a certain level anxiety can be beneficial helping us to achieve our best results, however after a certain point it becomes detrimental and impacts our performance negatively.
Physical Symptoms
People often mention the physical symptoms of anxiety which can be excessive fast thoughts, tingly hands, stomach issues, a pounding heart, dry mouth, feeling sweaty and hot. All of these can feel very uncomfortable and at times scary. When we experience these physical symptoms we can often want to hide away and avoid things like work, school, social interaction and activities we normally like to do. However by avoiding these things the anxiety can then start to creep into other areas of our lives.
How I Work with Anxiety
Helping people to relax and empower them with strategies and techniques is very useful, breathing techniques such as box breathing, alternate nostril breathing and 7/11 breathing can all help to relax and empower an anxious person.
Creating a hierarchy of anxiety provoking situations and tackling them gradually from low to high can both empower a person and build confidence in their ability to manage anxious situations.
Providing a safe space free from judgment to explore issues around anxiety where you feel listened to, empathised with and valued as an individual also helps enormously.
If you require support in Helston, Cornwall or the surrounding areas give me a call or send an email.