Navigating ANXIETY
Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress. It can be caused by fear or apprehension about what is to come, which can be a known fear, or a fear of the unknown.
It can cause rapid heart rate, breathing, sweating, nausea, dizziness, shaking and over time brain fog, body pain and fatigue…which are all a result of the activation of the fear centres of the brain, the amygdala and the hippocampus, and the release of sympathetic nervous system hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) and adrenal hormones (cortisol). This is our body’s way of protecting us and giving us the energy to run away from the danger. Once the danger passes, normally, the sympathetic nervous system switches back to the parasympathetic (rest and digest).
But when there is chronic stress from work, family, environment or situations, the body can’t cope. It’s when this fear becomes a constant worrying thought or feeling, that there may be underlaying problems. It’s the nervous systems way of telling us it’s not happy.
17.4% of adults in New Zealand suffer from anxiety, and more common in women, which can be linked to PMS and menopause. Anxiety can come in many forms and stages; panic attacks, constant low level anxiety, chronic or acute, generalise anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and phobias. It can last for a minute, an hour, a week or months at a time. It can greatly affect our lives, jobs and relationships, impacting our quality of life.
Personally, I feel anxiety creeping in when I am trying to juggle too many things at once, overworked, “busy“, or have any form of caffeine (yes, including a 1/2 strength decaf coffee!). I take it as my reminder to take more time out to look after myself and do the things that recharge me, bring me back down to earth and ground me.
For others, it may not be so easy, but understanding where the anxiety comes from helps. Talking about it openly with people you love and trust, and enlisting the help of healthcare professionally. Naturopaths and medical herbalist have a range of tools under our belts to help with anxiety, including soothing and nourishing the nervous system and adrenal glands with herbs. Flower essence, are wonderful for working on the emotions that may be stored in the body, or in times of acute anxiety and panic attacks.
Other simple methods include making sure you're getting enough quality sleep, time away from screens, colour therapy, meditation, yoga, time in nature, eating a nutritious diet, love and community, exercising, or limiting caffeine, alcohol and quitting smoking. Treatment should always be specific to you. You may even be entitled to some free counselling or therapy through your GP. And hey, if you need to be on supervised medication for a time, that’s ok too. Remember to give yourself compassion and grace in any healing journey.
As always, please reach out if you need support.
Mental Health NZ: https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/a-z/resource/5/anxiety
The Low Down: https://thelowdown.co.nz/categories/anxiety/anxiety/
Depression.org: https://depression.org.nz/is-it-depression-anxiety/anxiety/