“Pathways to Serenity: Navigating the Journey of Recovery”
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Living Everyday with Purpose
How Do You Move from Chaos to A Life of Purpose?
I established Anxiety Counselling Support based on my genuine desire to help others. Through my experiences, I have realized that being true to oneself is crucial before attempting to please others. There are certain emotions that we all experience, such as anxiety, depression, fear, guilt, shame, loneliness, emptiness, hopelessness, jealousy, or envy, which result from self-doubt. By following our internal compass, we can take responsibility for these emotions. To provide positivity, we must take responsibility for our inner reservoir; you cannot pour from an empty source, so be careful how you allow yours to be drained.
When the mind thwarts the flow of emotions because they are too overwhelming or too conflicting, it puts stress on the mind and the body, creating psychological distress and symptoms. Emotional stress, like that from blocked emotions, has not only been linked to mental ills but also to physical problems like heart disease, intestinal problems, headaches, insomnia and autoimmune disorders. When we try to suppress or block our emotions, it's like holding a beach ball underwater - it takes a lot of effort and creates tension. Similarly, trying to contain our emotions because they are too intense or contradictory can lead to psychological distress and physical symptoms. It's important to create a safe and supportive environment where we can express our emotions and work through them in a healthy way. By doing so, we can reduce stress on our mind and body, and promote better overall health and well-being. Deciding to discover your true self and living an authentic life are the most successful ways to reduce stress and anxiety.
Why not come and explore a new way of being?
Furthermore, through self-love, we can experience positive emotions such as joy, inner peace, love, fullness, fulfilment, freedom, relief, and a strong sense of self-worth. When we adapt, anxiety and stress are reduced rapidly.
You may be emotionally neglecting yourself by disregarding your feelings, criticizing yourself, relying on addictions to numb yourself, or placing the responsibility for your emotions on someone else. This lack of self-love and self-compassion can lead to stress and anxiety, along with other long-term health problems. If you were to treat an actual child the way you treat yourself, with constant judgment, expectations of perfection, and criticism of their every move, the child would naturally feel anxious. So stop giving yourself such a raw deal and be careful what you allow others to install. Be careful both in what you accept and how you talk to yourself. You are always listening.
Are you constantly seeking attention and validation from others instead of taking care of your feelings? Do you find yourself sacrificing your own needs to feel loved rather than learning to love yourself so that you can share your love with others? Do you become angry and blame others to gain control over their love when you are not giving love to yourself? All of these self-destructive behaviours can contribute to stress and anxiety.
Never Abandon Yourself to Anyone
You might abandon yourself relationally by giving yourself up and complying to avoid rejection or conflict. When you give yourself up, you are rejecting yourself, which can cause anxiety. Alternatively, you could be trying to control another with anger or blame to make the other feel responsible for you, another form of self-abandonment. The result of all these behaviours is anxiety.
Anxiety results from not accepting how things are and from trying to control things that you cannot control. When you are experiencing anxiety, practising self-connection can help you move back into reality and take loving action for yourself. Although this isn’t a complete list of what causes anxiety, I hope it’s clear that anxiety can teach you a lot about how you treat yourself and what you tell yourself. By opening up to learning from your anxiety, you can discover your false beliefs and the self-doubt that your beliefs may be fuelling.
Loving yourself means doing self-connection work whenever you feel anxious or anything other than peace and fullness. It also means seeking professional help if anxiety stems from childhood abuse or past trauma. Avoiding healing from past abuse and trauma can also be a form of self-abandonment and neglect.
In my experience, many people get caught up in the monotony of their daily lives without ever stopping to ponder what drives them, what directs them, and what they were put on this earth to accomplish. Life keeps us distracted, so much that we lose sight of the bigger picture. Have you ever felt there has to be more? We go to work day in and day out without ever considering anything else. Now, you can develop the skills to ease your stressors and anxiety from a Holistic source of healing.
Anxiety At Work
Anxiety is a useful state for humans. It tries to tell us something important…something we don’t feel ready to know.
If we look away from difficulty we are left with a sense of unknown dread and impending doom that can feel so overwhelming it can feel impossible to go on.
Anxiety is our body's way of telling us to stop and think. It’s a red alert light flashing on ‘panic’, telling us something important is being missed.
Overcoming anxiety and fear is crucial in the corporate world and for the individual. Here are some strategies that can help:
1. Identify Your Anxiety: Understand how your anxiety manifests. This could be physical symptoms like a racing heart or mental symptoms like excessive worrying.
2. Manage Your Anxiety: Take active steps to manage your anxiety. This could involve mindfulness exercises, deep breathing, or even seeking professional help if needed.
3. Lead in Times of High Anxiety: If you’re in a leadership position, it’s important to manage not just your anxiety but also that of your team. This involves clear communication, empathy, and providing support.
4. Build a Support System: A network of supportive individuals can help manage anxiety over the long term.
5. Harness Your Anxiety for Good: With some mindset shifts, anxiety can go from feeling like a malfunction to serving as a useful tool. It can energize us and help us be more innovative and creative.
6. I Offer Stress Management Training: These techniques can improve emotional well-being and fear reduction.
Identifying stressors is vital to understanding what causes stress in the workplace. Stressors could be due to workload, interpersonal conflicts, or a lack of control. Promoting healthy habits among employees, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep, is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Remember, anxiety is a shared experience, especially in high-pressure environments like the corporate world. However, it can be managed effectively with the right strategies and support. It’s also important to note that if anxiety is severely impacting your life, seeking help from a mental health professional such as myself is an excellent step to take not only for corporate clients but also for individuals feeling the current load is heavy. You will find my services confidential and a place where you can discharge your burdens.
Psychotherapy is a process in which a person discusses their experiences with a trained therapist. This is a widely used method to evaluate and treat various mental health conditions. Here are some of the benefits of talk therapy:
Benefits of Anxiety Counselling Support
1. Enhanced Self-Awareness: Talk therapy can help individuals gain insight into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
2. Improved Coping Skills: It can enhance resilience in the face of stress, anxiety and adversity.
3. Greater Emotional Regulation: Talk therapy can improve mood stability.
4. Increased Self-Acceptance and Self-Esteem: It can help individuals feel better about themselves.
5. Better Understanding of Emotions: As a therapist, I can help individuals better understand their emotions.
6. Overcoming Anxiety and Insecurities: Talk therapy can help individuals cope with stress and anxiety.
7. Processing Traumatic Experiences: It can help individuals work through past traumatic experiences.
8. Breaking Unhealthy Habits: Talk therapy can assist individuals in breaking unhealthy habits.
9. Improved Interpersonal Relationships and Communication Skills: It can enhance interpersonal relationships and communication skills.
10. Improved Quality of Life: Talk therapy can improve the quality of life before or during burnout.
When Stress Becomes Burnout
Burnout is emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion caused by prolonged or repeated stress. It is most commonly experienced in the workplace but can also occur in other areas of life. The World Health Organization recognizes burnout as an ‘occupational phenomenon’. Although not a medical condition, it has been classified as a syndrome, which means it is a collection of symptoms or signs associated with a specific health-related cause.
Common signs of burnout include feeling tired or drained most of the time, helpless, trapped, and/or defeated, detached and alone in the world, having a cynical/negative outlook, self-doubt, procrastinating and taking longer to get things done, and feeling overwhelmed.
Burnout can be caused by experiencing long-term stress, such as working a stressful job. Other factors contributing to work-related stress, which contribute to burnout, include unrealistic work expectations, an unmanageable workload, unrealistic deadlines, and unrealistic time pressure.
Ignoring the signs of burnout could harm your physical and mental health in the future. It could also lead to a loss of energy and ability to meet the demands of your job, which could have knock-on effects in other areas of your life.
Managing stress levels and maintaining a healthy work-life balance are essential to prevent burnout. This could involve taking regular breaks, practising mindfulness exercises, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and seeking support when needed.
Remember, if you feel burnt out, it's important to seek help. You are not alone, and there are resources available to support you.
I wholeheartedly believe we are meant to do much more than survive. We are meant to thrive, build a life we love, and not just make a living. One of the most rewarding things in my line of work is helping my clients discover their "North Star"—their true calling. We all have one, no matter how concealed it might feel. Yes, you can find your North Star and live life fully.
"North Star" is commonly used in person-centred approaches to refer to a guiding principle or goal that helps individuals navigate their journey. This non-directive approach emphasises the client's autonomy and capacity for self-determination in the therapeutic process. The therapist provides a supportive environment for clients to explore and utilize their strengths and personal identity.
Discovering your North Star enables you to live with purpose. It provides a guiding light to keep you on the right path. But life is still full of challenges. We all have our ups and downs. However, when living your life purposefully, it is much easier to stay on course and weather the storms that come. Overcoming obstacles is a universal challenge and an opportunity for growth while developing resilience.
The first step is to identify the problem and clearly define what is in your way by understanding its nature.
Once we know your requirements, we collaboratively develop a strategy to tackle the problem. This might involve breaking the issue down into smaller, more manageable parts.
Believing in your ability to overcome challenges is crucial to success. It becomes easier to achieve in collaboration.
View any failures as learning opportunities. Each attempt provides valuable lessons that can bring you closer to your goal.
Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. This can motivate you to keep moving forward.
Embrace the journey, including the hurdles, as part of your pathway to success.
Integrated counselling, or integrative psychotherapy, is a powerful therapy approach that combines different elements of specific therapeutic approaches. This holistic approach carefully examines each client's issues by considering the components contributing to psychological well-being together. The integrative counselling method tailors an approach specifically for the individual by drawing on techniques from other therapies. It believes there isn't just one therapeutic approach that can help all clients in every situation. The integrative approach includes person-centred therapy, psychodynamic therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Adopting this approach can create a flexible, dynamic method that suits many clients.
It allows you to consider your theoretical perspectives and create a model that suits your requirements while containing a mixture of behavioural and relational approaches. With an integrative counselling approach, clients can achieve significant positive results by addressing their problems comprehensively and personally because one size never fits all.
Anxiety can play a pivotal role in setting authentic goals, and here are some ways it can be beneficial:
1. Self-awareness: Being authentic requires deep self-reflection and an understanding of one's values, strengths, weaknesses, and passions. Anxiety can prompt introspection, which can help one examine one's thoughts, emotions, and motivations. This self-awareness can help set goals that align with your true self.
2. Self-acceptance lies at the heart of authenticity. Anxiety can make you more aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and embracing these aspects of yourself can lead to a more profound sense of self-worth. This self-acceptance can help you set goals that are true to who you are.
3. Being authentic can enhance performance in high-stakes situations like job interviews. When you’re genuine, you’re less likely to cater excessively to others’ expectations, which can reduce anxiety and improve performance.
4. Authenticity promotes inner harmony and reduces anxiety from living a life that does not align with one's true self. By setting authentic goals, one is likelier to experience greater self-acceptance, contentment, and overall well-being.
Using SMART goals for anxiety management can help individuals set realistic and attainable targets, thereby reducing stress and anxiety associated with unrealistic goals.
Remember, while anxiety can be beneficial in these ways, it’s essential to manage it effectively to prevent it from becoming overwhelming or detrimental to you. If you’re struggling with anxiety, don't hesitate to seek help. You can take control of your anxiety and confidently set goals that align with your true self.
Everyone Has the Potential for Change and Growth
I offer client-centred therapy. This approach, also known as person-centred therapy, is based on unconditional positive regard, which means you are welcomed with complete acceptance and support. This creates a safe and supportive environment where you can explore your feelings, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth. At the core of this therapy is the belief that everyone has the potential for change and growth. I facilitate this process by providing empathy and understanding. I'll encourage you to find solutions to your challenges based on the idea that you are the expert on your life experiences; this can empower you and lead to lasting change. Nothing to worry about; all work is developed on your strengths. Strengths-Based Person-Centered Planning is a treatment planning that marks a paradigm shift from traditional methods. Unlike previous methods that focused on a person's diagnosis, deficits, and disabilities, this approach prioritizes a person's strengths, interests, resources, and capabilities. It operates on the premise that every individual, regardless of their history or problems, has abilities, personal qualities, achievements, wants, wishes, dreams, and aspirations for their life.
In this approach, the individual plays an active role in the treatment planning. The goals are developed based on what the individual determines to be essential and the changes they want to make in overcoming obstacles to growth, as opposed to the provider's preference of what they think is best for the individual. In essence, the individual is empowered to take control of their treatment plan, and it becomes a collaborative process between the individual and myself. Can you expect commitment if you do not invite the client to become involved? Remember, you're not alone. I'm here to support and encourage you every step of the way.
Unravelling The Neurobiology of Anxiety
1. The first step towards recovery is to recognize the symptoms and triggers of anxiety while also comprehending how the CNS responds to stress and perceived threats.
2. Techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and relaxation exercises can be incredibly beneficial in calming the CNS and reducing the physiological symptoms of anxiety.
3. Adopting healthy habits such as regular exercise, adequate sleep, and a balanced diet can support the CNS and promote overall well-being, which can help alleviate anxiety symptoms.
It's important to acknowledge that recovery is a personal journey, and what works for one person may not work for another. However, Anxiety Counselling Support offers a recovery plan that best suits an individual client's perspective. Person-centred and DBT are two therapies that have different approaches to treating clients but can work well together in integration. Both methods try to improve the welfare of the clients through a collaborative therapeutic approach, and they both can reduce psychological pain and distress in the client's life.
DBT & CBT Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) are proven and highly effective therapy modalities for individuals experiencing anxiety.
Emotional regulation is a critical component in the recovery from anxiety, involving several essential skills that help individuals manage their emotions effectively.
Understanding Emotions: Recognizing and labelling one’s emotions as one's own.
Acceptance: Allowing emotions to be present without judgment.
Mindfulness: Staying present and engaged with current emotions without over-identifying with them.
Cognitive Reappraisal: Changing the emotional response by altering the meaning attributed to the situation.
Problem-Solving: Identifying solutions for the issues that cause distress.
Support Seeking: Reaching out for help and healthily communicating emotions.
These skills can be developed through practice. They are essential for navigating the challenges of anxiety and fostering a resilient and adaptive emotional life.
Mindfulness is a multifaceted practice that can enhance well-being and reduce stress. The core components of mindfulness include:
Attention: Focusing on the present moment and the task at hand.
Intention: Setting a purposeful aim to be mindful and aware.
Attitude: Approaching experiences with curiosity, openness, and acceptance.
These components work together to create a mindful state, allowing one to engage fully with the present, acknowledge thoughts and feelings without judgment, and cultivate a compassionate perspective toward oneself and others. This practice can initially seem unusual, but it can become a valuable part of daily life with time.
The Components of DBT
Distress tolerance is a critical concept in Dialectical behaviour Therapy (DBT) and involves the ability to endure and withstand emotional distress without resorting to harmful behaviours. The main components of distress tolerance include:
Self-soothing techniques: Engage in activities that calm the senses, like listening to music or taking a warm bath.
TIPP Skills: Changing your physical state through Temperature, Intense exercise, Pace breathing, or Paired muscle relaxation to help manage extreme emotions.
The STOP Skill is about stopping yourself from acting impulsively by taking a step back and thinking about the consequences of your actions.
Considering Pros and Cons: Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of tolerating distress versus not tolerating it.
Radical Acceptance: Fully accepting reality without trying to change it.
Distraction: Diverting attention away from distressing emotions by focusing on something else.
Improving the Moment: Using imagination, meaning, prayer, relaxation, one thing in the moment, vacation, and encouragement to make a difficult situation more bearable.
These skills are designed to help individuals navigate crises without exacerbating their emotional pain or engaging in destructive behaviours. They are about finding ways to cope with and get through challenging moments when emotions feel overwhelming.
Interpersonal effectiveness is a crucial skill set in dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), which involves interacting with others assertively, maintaining self-respect, and strengthening relationships. The components of interpersonal effectiveness include:
DEAR MAN: This strategy is for communicating effectively; it stands for Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, Mindful, Appear Confident, and Negotiate.
GIVE: This is about maintaining relationships; it stands for Gentle, Interested, Validate, and Easy manner.
FAST: This helps to maintain self-respect; it stands for Fair, Apologetic (no unnecessary ones), Sticking to values, and Truthful.
These skills help one achieve one's objective, maintain relationships, and enhance self-respect during interactions with others. They are beneficial for navigating difficult conversations and managing interpersonal conflicts.
DBT helps individuals understand and accept their feelings, learn skills to manage them and work towards making positive life changes. It's conducive. Those who experience emotions very intensely can use DBT to treat a variety of conditions, including anxiety.
The Benefits of Combining Yoga With Your Treatment Plan
Combining yoga with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can have multiple benefits for people with anxiety disorders. Yoga has physical and mental benefits that can help regulate blood glucose levels, improve muscle-skeletal ailments, moderate the nervous system, and regulate the cardiovascular system. Additionally, yoga can draw one's attention away from ruminating thoughts and worries as one moves through poses that require balance and concentration. After one session, this can result in a quieter mind, a lighter feeling, and refreshed and clear-headed.
Yoga, including various Asian forms, is highly beneficial in treating anxiety. There are several reasons why yoga is effective in managing stress and anxiety.
Firstly, yoga can soothe an overactive nervous system, relaxing the mind and body. It also helps regulate physiological functions such as heart rate and digestion.
Secondly, yoga poses stimulate the vagus nerve, a crucial part of the rest-and-digest system. This, in turn, helps modulate the fight, flight or freeze stress response.
Thirdly, yoga enhances interoception, which is how we perceive sensations arising in our body. This helps us distinguish between safe and fearful or dangerous situations, thereby reducing anxiety.
Fourthly, yoga can increase your vagal tone, so your body can relax sooner after experiencing stress.
Lastly, yoga is an accessible and adaptable practice. Specific yoga poses, such as Supta Baddha Konasana, Supta Sukhasana, and Utthita Trikonasana, are particularly beneficial in controlling thoughts and keeping anxiety at bay.
Yoga can be a part of therapy to help reduce anxiety disorder symptoms. Furthermore, patients who have practised yoga have shown significant improvements in both anxiety (anxiety felt in a given moment) and trait anxiety (a general tendency toward anxiety). They also showed reduced symptoms of depression, panic, suicidality, and sleep disturbance and improvements in sexual function and quality of life.
It is important to note that while yoga can be effective for Anxiety, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) remain the gold standard treatment. It should be used as a complementary therapy, not a professional treatment replacement.
Nutritional Health Supplements
Several nutritional supplements have the potential to help with anxiety. Here are some of them:
L-theanine: This amino acid is commonly found in green tea and has been found to reduce stress and anxiety while promoting relaxation.
Ashwagandha: This herb is known for its stress-relieving properties in Ayurvedic medicine.
Magnesium: Magnesium plays a crucial role in the body's stress response and may benefit people with anxiety.
Curcumin is an active ingredient in turmeric and has been found to have anti-anxiety effects.
Saffron: Some studies suggest that saffron may help reduce anxiety symptoms.
CBD: CBD oil has been studied for its potential role in easing symptoms of many common health issues, including anxiety.
Vitamin D: Some research suggests that Vitamin D might help ease anxiety symptoms.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to affect mood positively and can help reduce anxiety symptoms.
Vitamin C: Some studies suggest that Vitamin C might help with anxiety.
Chamomile: Chamomile is a herb that may help reduce anxiety.
It's important to note that while these supplements may help manage anxiety, they are not a cure. Therefore, when selecting supplements, it's essential to be cautious of products that claim to treat or cure anxiety disorders.
Use Nutrition to Help Manage and Alleviate Anxiety. Here are Some Key Points:
Nutrition plays a crucial role in managing anxiety. By incorporating certain nutrients and dietary habits, you can reduce feelings of anxiety and prevent panic attacks. Here are some vital factors to consider:
Magnesium and Vitamin D: These nutrients are increasing attention in anxiety nutrition. Many people have reported significant reductions in anxiety by taking magnesium and vitamin D supplements.
Blood Sugar Balance: Unstable blood sugar levels can lead to an increase in anxiety. Panic attacks can occur when blood sugar levels drop.
Zinc/Copper Ratio: Maintaining the correct balance between zinc and copper is essential for managing anxiety. Anything that depletes zinc can contribute to anxiety by tipping your zinc/copper ratio in favour of copper.
Food Intolerances: Intolerance to certain foods that are a regular feature in your diet can impact blood sugar balance and adrenal function, leading to anxiety.
Poor Digestion: Poor digestion can prevent the absorption of all the necessary nutrients and prevent the breakdown of proteins into amino acids, which help build neurotransmitters.
Antioxidants: Anxiety is thought to be related to a lowered total antioxidant state. Eating foods rich in antioxidants may help ease the symptoms of anxiety disorders.
It's important to note that while these nutritional strategies can be helpful, they are not a substitute for professional treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, it's crucial to seek help from a healthcare professional.
Conclusion
Anxiety can be a pervasive and distressing condition that can significantly impact our daily lives. To eliminate anxiety symptoms, it's essential to reduce stress and give ourselves enough time for the body to recover. This can include practising stress-reducing activities like meditation or yoga, getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. When we take these steps, our body has an opportunity to recuperate, and the symptoms of anxiety will gradually subside.
It's important to note that anxiety symptoms can be a sign that our body is under a lot of stress, and it must be with the underlying issues that cause anxiety in the first place. These could include work-related stress, relationship issues, financial pressure, or health concerns. By addressing these underlying issues, we can reduce the likelihood of anxiety symptoms reoccurring and promote long-term anxiety symptom-free living.
Overall, it's crucial to employ a holistic approach to managing anxiety symptoms, which can involve a combination of self-care, stress-reducing techniques, and addressing underlying causes. With the right tools and support, it's possible to have a fulfilling life free from the debilitating effects of anxiety.
