How to Manage Anxiety

These are strange times for everyone and I think there are many people who have never suffered with or experienced anxiety in the past that are struggling with it right now. So how do we even begin to control these anxious feelings? Working as a hypnotherapist for more than 10 years, I have seen many people struggling with anxiety. So what is anxiety? How do you know when you are suffering from it? It can be different for everyone but is generally an overwhelming feeling that you can’t shake off. For many it can cause tightness of the stomach, sweaty palms and palpitations. Some have disturbed sleep and an inability to distract themselves from worrying thoughts.

There are also apps available to download for mindfulness, “head space” is one I can recommend but there are plenty to choose from, so find one that suits you. Mindfulness, being in the moment becoming aware in that moment again, is a wonderful way to distract and relax your mind from anxious feelings. You can choose to watch a movie, one that’s light-hearted or makes you laugh. Or ring a friend or video call someone, all of these are good distractions at anxious times. Anxiety is often caused by worrying about something that may never happen or that we can not control. A thought can start a chain reaction, raising the heart rate, causing sweaty hands and dizziness that is generally caused by the quickening of breathing, a tight stomach, the list goes on. So the important thing to remember is this chain reaction is caused by a thought, by the mind. You are not in immediate danger, yet your powerful mind and imagination can cause all of these very unpleasant feelings.

But if your mind can cause this to happen, then the opposite is also true. You can use your wonderfully powerful mind and imagination in a more positive way. Use the power of your mind to your advantage. It just takes a little practise. So if you were to imagine anxiety was a colour, what colour would it be for you? And if you could imagine calmness as a colour, think about what colour that would be. So when you begin to feel anxious, imagine that anxious colour inside you. And then imagine you are surrounded by the colour of calm. Taking slow deep soothing breaths, breathe in the colour of calm and as you exhale imagine you are breathing out the colour of anxiety. Noticing each time you do this how much better you are beginning to feel. And continue this until you are full of the calm colour and you have breathed away all of the anxious colour. And you can notice how calm and peaceful you feel. Our minds and imaginations are amazing things. So use yours to your advantage, choose to be calm and positive. Fight back against anxious thoughts and feelings. You have the absolute ability to do so.