Anxiety and stress management
What is stress and anxiety?
Physically stress feels uncomfortable and our first impulse is to move away from the feelings of agitation which accompany stress. Looked at objectively however, our physical response to stress is very similar to when we are excited about something. Our hearts race and a heightened sense of awareness increases our restlessness. In its most positive expression, stress provides the motivation for change in our lives.
However, if this motivation for action is frustrated in some way, then stress becomes more like anxiety, that is a chronic state of restlessness. This can interfere with our sleep patterns, our diet and how we relate to our friends and work mates. The ability to go about our daily lives is diminished and often the compulsion for self-medication, which can be disastrous in the long term, takes over.
Anxiety has many causes, ranging from unreasonable work place demands, a response to overt or covert bullying at work or at home, from financial pressures, moving home, the experience of health issues, or it can surface if you are being frozen out of social or recreational opportunities. As a chronic condition the causes of your anxiety may be hard to pinpoint, however by looking at your emotional responses to issues in your life, the source of your restlessness will become clear.
Anxiety can also be contagious, so if you're normally relaxed but find yourself unaccountably restless and unsettled it could be that you have fallen into the orbit of someone who is anxious. Those who are empathic or sensitive are at greater risk of catching anxiety from those close to them.
Exercise, guided meditation work and conscious breathing techniques are helpful ways you can recover restorative sleep patterns, and proper sleep is essential to the management of anxiety and stress.
South Yarra Counselling offers support for new exercise regimes as well as relaxation and mindfulness sessions which can help you get on top of your stress levels, before they become too much.