Your brain is split into sections,
the part at the front known as the frontal lobe is the part of your brain that is
in charge of the thinking part where you plan for the future, your judgment,
your decision-making skills, your attention span, and your inhibitions. It’s
basically responsible for your normal moods.
Your brain is also in charge of
protecting you when there is potential danger. This part is called the Amygdala.
This response is what we know as the flight or fight response. When you suffer
with anxiety it is like the Amygdala is constantly turned on. Being anxious can
make you feel hazy and affect your focus and also makes it seem as though
everything is stressing you out and everyone is irritating you. Once you get
this far it can be hard to pull yourself out of it.
Ways to help
you cope
Exercise is a good way to distress as
it elevates your heart rate which can act like a mild dose of Prozac in the
body. Exercise releases endorphins which make you feel good. It also helps to boost
the serotonin production in your body. Memories, happy ones, can also boost the
serotonin levels in your body. Focusing on a happy memory when you are starting
to feel overly stressed and anxious can help to trick the mind and help you
cope. If this doesn’t work try writing the happy memory down. It may take a few
goes but eventually your brain will automatically associate the happy memory
with your triggers and will help you through the struggle. Writing can be a
good way to help get those negative thoughts out and happy thoughts into your
mind.
Sleep is important, not just
for coping with anxiety but for your brain function overall. Your brain uses
sleep as a period for recovery and without it your stress will remain high.
Ensure you are getting adequate sleep as you feel refreshed and ready to start your
new day. Also carrying a small object with you can be a great way to help
distract your mind when you are feeling stressed and anxious. When you are
feeling stressed take it out and hold it, start to think about the colour,
size, shape and even weight of the object, to everyone else you’re just
fiddling but to you it is distracting your mind.
Music can help distract you also.
Focusing on the lyrics or the beat can help calm the mind and also help to
boost serotonin. Inflammation may also add to your anxiousness as it is not good
for your body. It’s a good idea to avoid foods that cause inflammation. Check
with your naturopath for a test to find out what can affect you.
Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to combat anxiety. It’s going to take time to train your brain so that it realises that the fears you have aren’t as bad as you think, that you can face them and conquer them if you work at it. We can help so give us a call and have a chat.
