High Anxiety
by Dr Linda S Spedding
The modern speedy life style that so many of us embrace has triggered negatively reactive symptoms and behaviour patterns among humanity as a whole, often with disproportionately unfortunate consequences. The more traditional thoughtful societies, cultures and leadership have mostly disappeared in these economic times where sustainable development struggles to be adopted despite the clear downside to the modern way of life. Artificial priorities assume top goals and objectives in many business sectors and intellectual thoroughness is often sacrificed in the quest to keep up the pace and be ahead. As I have seen in my lifetime - and through engagement with the Vedic Sanatan Dharma (see www.adhyatmik.org) - the really, truly successful civilisation has a measure inclusive values approach that demonstrates balance in commitments and use of time, proper communication and care for others. Without such balance humanity becomes unwell.
One of the major symptoms that is manifesting internationally, exacerbated by the global crisis of the Coronavirus Pandemic is high anxiety. In my view unfortunately this had already crept up on almost every aspect of life, thereby eroding our resilience and overall joy of living. In turn the quality of decision making, leadership and functionality has been impaired.
Medically it is explained that anxiety is a general term that describes a variety of experiences, including nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry. These experiences can become a way of life for many, often beginning at a very young age. Such experiences are also common in several mental health disorders. While most of us would admit that we have anxiety at some time, this is different from what is defined as an anxiety attack or anxiety disorder. Normal feelings of nervousness, worry, and fear often have a known trigger such as a major exam, interview, relationship or money issues. Moreover certain foods including beverages with caffeine can exacerbate anxiety, causing the heart to beat quickly. It is very important for all of us to feel more empowered and take more responsibility for our health, observe our individual wellbeing and find some routine that is workable for us so that we do not actually exacerbate the anxiety by being too rigid (see further the Purna Health Management System inspired by Professor Dr. S.R.A.G. Purna). Tips that are now globally recognised are:
Eat well-balanced meals.
Get plenty of sleep, especially during a period of heightened stress such as the public health experience we are living now.
Exercise gently and walk more every day to feel good and stay healthy.
In order to attain wellbeing and fulfil one’s potential, each day it is helpful also to recognise any warning signs of high anxiety. For example, shortness of breath is a hallmark symptom of an anxiety attack: you can make the feeling worse by taking short, shallow breaths. Try deep stomach breathing instead to prevent an anxiety attack - exhale deeply, loosen your shoulders, and focus on some longer, deeper inhales and exhales so that the stomach rises and falls rhythmically. Make a conscious effort to tighten and then relax those tenser parts of your body. Or, if this endeavour feels difficult and makes you feel more anxious, choose a body part that will respond, such as your toes or your shoulders. The more you breathe and relax, the easier it will be to cope.
High anxiety, which is already on the increase nowadays, is likely to be more and more prevalent everywhere in the aftermath of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The experiences suffered and witnessed by many - together with the fear of being affected or infected - will have longstanding repercussions according to many relevant experts. Predictions have been made regarding a tidal wave in anxiety disorders worldwide that include panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms may include excessive chronic stress that is out of proportion to the impact of an event or experience , the inability to set aside worry of further illness, and restlessness. Whereas treatment for anxiety generally includes counseling or medication, (including antidepressants) it is submitted that positive mindset approaches that look forward to improvement in circumstances can be exercised which, in turn, create conditions that can heal and restore.
Many of us do not appreciate that how we are and how we behave not only impacts our own day, but also others in our contact. To try to rise above the difficult challenges that we are living with can be extremely beneficial for ourselves and others: the energy that we emit can be felt - consciously or unconsciously. There are also several methods to be less hard on oneself, have less expectation overall, be more patient and enjoy improved emotional intelligence.In this day and age - especially in times of crisis when events take over the life (at least for a while) patience is extremely helpful to counter anxiety. The chronic human impatience that has become acceptable in this time of busy - ness creates high anxiety in almost everyone in most activities that are undertaken, building a massive anxiety foundation. Such habits need correction and should be replaced with more mindful patience if we are to maximise the benefits of the pause that we are experiencing in so many ways.
Indeed, various practical strategies on how to deal with stress and anxiety attacks can be implemented on a daily basis to try to counteract the negativity that can become so very pervasive. Altering the mindset is paramount to reduce anxiety in order to:
The final strategy — learning what triggers your anxiety — is quite crucial. Sometimes you can take small practical steps to conquer your anxiety instead of letting the trigger conquer you. For example, many find interacting with strangers overwhelming. If you have social anxiety and meeting new people causes you high anxiety, consider going with a friend or colleague to meet them. Alternatively, take deep breaths before the meeting - and slowly drink a glass of water if this is available. Once you become used to such situations, you can move forward and meet people in a much more relaxed way. All the pent-up fear and anxiety will start to resolve.
For further information regarding this article or to follow up on ways to relax and enjoy life through internal strength and inner peace see www.adhyatmik.org and www.balancedlives.info
One of the major symptoms that is manifesting internationally, exacerbated by the global crisis of the Coronavirus Pandemic is high anxiety. In my view unfortunately this had already crept up on almost every aspect of life, thereby eroding our resilience and overall joy of living. In turn the quality of decision making, leadership and functionality has been impaired.
Medically it is explained that anxiety is a general term that describes a variety of experiences, including nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry. These experiences can become a way of life for many, often beginning at a very young age. Such experiences are also common in several mental health disorders. While most of us would admit that we have anxiety at some time, this is different from what is defined as an anxiety attack or anxiety disorder. Normal feelings of nervousness, worry, and fear often have a known trigger such as a major exam, interview, relationship or money issues. Moreover certain foods including beverages with caffeine can exacerbate anxiety, causing the heart to beat quickly. It is very important for all of us to feel more empowered and take more responsibility for our health, observe our individual wellbeing and find some routine that is workable for us so that we do not actually exacerbate the anxiety by being too rigid (see further the Purna Health Management System inspired by Professor Dr. S.R.A.G. Purna). Tips that are now globally recognised are:
Eat well-balanced meals.
Get plenty of sleep, especially during a period of heightened stress such as the public health experience we are living now.
Exercise gently and walk more every day to feel good and stay healthy.
In order to attain wellbeing and fulfil one’s potential, each day it is helpful also to recognise any warning signs of high anxiety. For example, shortness of breath is a hallmark symptom of an anxiety attack: you can make the feeling worse by taking short, shallow breaths. Try deep stomach breathing instead to prevent an anxiety attack - exhale deeply, loosen your shoulders, and focus on some longer, deeper inhales and exhales so that the stomach rises and falls rhythmically. Make a conscious effort to tighten and then relax those tenser parts of your body. Or, if this endeavour feels difficult and makes you feel more anxious, choose a body part that will respond, such as your toes or your shoulders. The more you breathe and relax, the easier it will be to cope.
High anxiety, which is already on the increase nowadays, is likely to be more and more prevalent everywhere in the aftermath of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The experiences suffered and witnessed by many - together with the fear of being affected or infected - will have longstanding repercussions according to many relevant experts. Predictions have been made regarding a tidal wave in anxiety disorders worldwide that include panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms may include excessive chronic stress that is out of proportion to the impact of an event or experience , the inability to set aside worry of further illness, and restlessness. Whereas treatment for anxiety generally includes counseling or medication, (including antidepressants) it is submitted that positive mindset approaches that look forward to improvement in circumstances can be exercised which, in turn, create conditions that can heal and restore.
Many of us do not appreciate that how we are and how we behave not only impacts our own day, but also others in our contact. To try to rise above the difficult challenges that we are living with can be extremely beneficial for ourselves and others: the energy that we emit can be felt - consciously or unconsciously. There are also several methods to be less hard on oneself, have less expectation overall, be more patient and enjoy improved emotional intelligence.In this day and age - especially in times of crisis when events take over the life (at least for a while) patience is extremely helpful to counter anxiety. The chronic human impatience that has become acceptable in this time of busy - ness creates high anxiety in almost everyone in most activities that are undertaken, building a massive anxiety foundation. Such habits need correction and should be replaced with more mindful patience if we are to maximise the benefits of the pause that we are experiencing in so many ways.
Indeed, various practical strategies on how to deal with stress and anxiety attacks can be implemented on a daily basis to try to counteract the negativity that can become so very pervasive. Altering the mindset is paramount to reduce anxiety in order to:
- Accept that you cannot control everything;
- Do or try your best;
- Maintain a positive attitude or approach; and
- Learn what triggers your anxiety.
The final strategy — learning what triggers your anxiety — is quite crucial. Sometimes you can take small practical steps to conquer your anxiety instead of letting the trigger conquer you. For example, many find interacting with strangers overwhelming. If you have social anxiety and meeting new people causes you high anxiety, consider going with a friend or colleague to meet them. Alternatively, take deep breaths before the meeting - and slowly drink a glass of water if this is available. Once you become used to such situations, you can move forward and meet people in a much more relaxed way. All the pent-up fear and anxiety will start to resolve.
For further information regarding this article or to follow up on ways to relax and enjoy life through internal strength and inner peace see www.adhyatmik.org and www.balancedlives.info