Anxiety or Not

By Dennis Gowin

Is your answer to any of these questions yes?

Do your friends say that your anxiety is excessive or unrealistic?
Can you control your anxiety?
Do you feel your anxiety has taken over your thoughts more days than not for several months?
Do you suffer from restlessness, fatigue, shakiness and muscle tension?
Do you experience shortness of breath, a dry mouth, trouble swallowing or stomach problems?
Do you feel on edge, have trouble concentrating, experience difficulty sleeping or falling asleep and are you irritable?

Answering yes may mean that your day-to-day life is sometimes overwhelmed by anxiety. We all experience stress, worry and anxiety. Times of stress, worry and anxiety can be caused by a change in jobs, a move to a new city, the arrival of a new family member or other life transitions. Changes in life can raise concerns and fears about the future. Unhealthy anxiety manifests itself physically, emotionally, spiritually and relationally; anxiety can become all-consuming and affect every area of our lives.
Anxiety does not just affect busy adults. It can also infiltrate the life of your child or teen and keep them from reaching their full potential.

A child can experience anxiety second-hand through the anxiety of a parent or guardian, as well first hand anxiety that is caused by his or her own situation at home or school. Anxiety can impact a child's confidence at school and his/her ability to be independent from their parents. Children don't have the words or capacity to understand what anxiety is and why it impacts us at times. Children, at times, need help understanding how to normalize their fears and how to come up with creative coping methods. It is also important to ensure that children don't feel responsible for their worry and don't make anxiety part of their identity.

Teenage years can be hard enough without the constant pestering of anxious thoughts. Anxiety can impact a teenager's ability to build healthy friendships, participate in class and try new activities. Teens need to be empowered to ask for help when they need it and to question the fears that enter their thoughts. Enabling them to work through their anxiety is a wonderful stepping-stone that equips them to deal with future struggles.

Adults often list anxiety as a common symptom. Anxiety can control adults' decisions in the work place, their ability to be in romantic relationships and their fears about making the right choices for the future. Working on issues of anxiety may involve unraveling years of built up subconscious fears and negative internalized thoughts. As an adult dealing with unhealthy levels of anxiety, you need to redesign your personal coping skills to enable you to deal effectively with the anxiety that normal life events can bring. You can take steps to deal with your anxiety and to reduce the frequency with which anxiety occurs so that you can function normally in your daily life.

The good news is we aren't intended to be consumed by anxiety. In Philippians 4:6 we read: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus. God desires for us to live full lives and to rely on him for our needs and future plans. Help is available and we can learn how to live with change and without life affecting anxiety.

The good news is that we aren't intended to be consumed by anxiety.

Eleven Causes of Nervous System Fight or Flight Syndrome According to Ayurveda

By Dr. Helen Mary Thomas

According to Ayurveda the nervous system can be come disturbed by:

1. Nervous habits like biting your nails, chewing gum all the times.

2. Emotional insecurity especially starting in childhood. Parents yelling at kids or intensely talking to them with emotional confusion.

3. Sexual addiction behavior

4. Intake of ice drinks especially right before eating.

5. Excessive Exercise.

6. Eating fast foods especially in the car while driving.

7. Constant exposure to very cold weather.

8. Delayed eating times and erratic schedules.

9. Going to bed too late like 11:00-12:00 pm.

10. Staying indoors too much and not getting enough natural light or living in dark places, like Washington State in the US.

11. Wearing black, and other dark colors all the time.

Here are the top 11 reasons the nervous system can become disturbed just in the everyday course of living.

Please note this list does not include, for example, commuting more than 30 minutes to and from work. Not to mention accidents, financial trouble, relationship struggles and more.

Ayurveda teaches that, as common knowledge tells us, that the nervous system runs the body. That it is electrical, as in electricity running down the pathway of the nerve tissue. So we have two things to think about when we want to feel more relaxed and have healthier nerves. One, how fast is the electricity flowing down the nerve tissue and two, how healthy is the nerve tissue.

Here are some signs of imbalances in the nervous system, dry skin,lips,eyes joints colon and constipation. Have you had any dizziness lately this is another symptom of nervous system imbalance.

Have you felt confused, ungrounded or plagued by anxiety? Yet another set of problems directly related to nervous system imblances, and not immediately think of going to the doctors to complain about.

These are just the acceptable symptoms that most of us will put up with before we go for a doctors appointment.

Here are some serious disorders that can develop from these eleven causes or behaviors: Hernia, emphysema Loss of taste, tingling and numbness and general body aches and even osteoporosis.

What to do? After you ask yourself how many of these eleven causes do I see in my daily life?

First things first, stop doing the identified behaviors. Second, yoga, meditation, eating on time and going to bed on time are your best self-care moves. These are the words of the Ayurveda teachers since the ancient times.

You can go here and sign up for my online class and learn more about the plant-based diets and lifestyle practices that will give you a deep sleep and an energizing alert day.

Just click here and sign up for my Ten week Ayurveda Online Class. I will teach 40 minutes and then we will have live Questions and Answers. I always use evidenced- based research to support the Ayurveda food principles. I have been teaching and practicing Ayurveda for thirty years. Currently I teach at SRJC in Santa Rosa California.

See you at Class http://www.grnewsletters.com/archive/thomasgeneral/New-Online-Class-Ayurveda-Made-Easy-553020205.html?t=&u=yU3j

Stress and Mood Swings

By Peggy Everson

If you notice yourself experiencing a drastic change of emotions every now and then it's possible that you're experiencing what many people refer to as "mood swings". One moment you may be feeling fine working on your daily tasks, the next minute you may be feeling irritable and even become hostile - all these sudden changes in your mood indicates that you are indeed having mood swings.

Irritability is a common symptom of unresolved chronic stress. So, if you are showing signs of being moody, you may need to look deeper and see if it isn't stress that's causing the problem.

Yes, it's perfectly normal to experience irritability, anger, sadness and other emotions in our lives. However, if mood swings become difficult to control, this becomes another problem to look at. When uncontrolled, they can severely impact relationships, careers and other aspects of a person's life.

Is Irritability The Cause?

Both men and women may suffer from mood swings that are caused by stress of everyday living. Juggling between family and work life and other's expectations will make almost everyone vulnerable to highs and lows in mood.

Women experience them more often than men. This comes as no surprise since women are subject to fluctuations of hormones that can occur during pregnancy, menstruation periods or post-partum depression.

Intensity of mood changes will invariably worsen when upsetting situations occur.

Irritability is one of the most common indicators of susceptibility to mood swings. When a person is irritable, they will have an increased tendency to overreact or become angry in response to an occurrence. When the response is disproportionate to the trigger, problems will occur with others.

This often leads to feelings of remorse, self-pity and more anger. If this yo-yo behavior is repeated often it can create habitual responses which compound the hormonal and environmental triggers. If the underlying causes of the irritability are properly addressed, they will then start to dissipate.

In extreme cases, they can also be linked to bipolar disorder. If mood swings are severe in either frequency or intensity or are damaging to personal and professional relationships, professional help should be sought.

Natural Ways of Coping with Stress and Mood Swings

Recognizing that stress and your mood swings are a problem doesn't mean you have to rely on prescription or over-the-counter drugs to be able to manage the problem. There are several natural ways of coping:

Yoga and meditation can help people achieve calmness by using positive imagery, slow and tempered muscle movements and guided breathing techniques. Practicing Yoga and meditation on a regular basis provides people with better coping skills for mood swings as the student will be taught to become more aware of their own emotional and physical responses to mood swings.

Getting enough sleep is also crucial towards conquering mood swings. Lacking enough sleep every night will make you feel run down with your mind less sharp to deal with any situations that may arise in your daily routine. This will affect how you react to situations and increasing your likelihood of an irrational response. Having enough sleep gives your mind and body the much needed rest that it deserves for it to function better the next day.

Eating right is one of the best ways to keep mood swings in check. Processed foods and all forms of junk foods should be avoided. Stay clear of all foods and beverages that contain sugar and limit (or better yet) eliminate your intake of alcohol.

Poor eating habits are also commonly linked to anxiety, depression and other mental health problems. Diet is becoming more widely implicated as a primary underlying cause and aggravator of many mental and emotional issues.

Peggy Everson - Superior Organized Solutions

Certified / Strategic lifestyle/business coach, Professional Organizer, People Problem Solver, Small business owner, Rescue Dog Lover. Got a problem? Let's talk!

Transforming the lives of individuals and entrepreneurs, through coaching and personality profiling! I want my clients to live the life they are meant to live and be happy, healthy and successful. http://superiororganizedsolutions.com/

Quelling Everyday Anxiety

By Steve Wickham

By far the commonest anxiety is suffered by those who would not be diagnosed with a disorder.

The commonest anxiety is caused by the tension of task-and-time pressure that leads to exhaustion. The more the tasks build up, the less time we feel we have, and the less peace we experience. And it's the average mother and father who are afflicted most.

Ask any parent with dependents and with ailing parents, caught in the middle of that stress sandwich - an unabating burden. Something has to give. Little wonder we find some form/s of coping, healthy or else. We do find ways of coping, effective and ineffective, in grappling to restore control in our lives.

Stress does the strangest things to us. It messes with our minds and that sentiment plummets into our soul. It causes us to dream terrifying fantasies. And it can force us into corners we'd never choose to be backed into.

Probably the most alarming issue with stress-induced anxiety, however, is its impact on our relationships. Seriously, just how much conflict is caused by stress? And how many conflicts emerge through an inability to be honestly sad, courageous or disappointed; that one or both are not upset so much over the issues at hand, but they're too emotionally compromised to respond well?

Our inner conflict spills out into conflict with others, and the issues are often secondary at best. We disagree because stress causes us to polarise into a place of inflexibility, because control is the comfort we crave when we feel out of control.

But insisting for control, which is what we do when we're stressed, is the quickest way of losing control.

We lack peace with others because we lack peace with ourselves. We lack peace with ourselves because we lack peace with God. Peace with God facilitates empathy, wisdom, compassion, patience and gentleness, often even amid stress. But peace with God is something we so often lack. Our anxiety is normal, and yet it implores us to draw near to God.

An honest acceptance of where we are at in life, with gratitude, can be thought of as an outcome to search for. Such a momentary outcome of presence is the best gauge that we have everyday anxiety held at bay. To understand life is less about control and more about contentment with what is.

Of course, I have focused here on everyday anxiety here. The above is not a comment on the disorders.

Steve Wickham holds Degrees in Science, Divinity, and Counselling. Steve writes at: http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com.au/ and http://tribework.blogspot.com.au/

How to Deal With Anxiety and Stress - 5 Best Ways

Perhaps no other word is so well known and so constantly passed around as the words "anxiety," "depression," and "stress." But while these words have been making the rounds of the worlds of young adults - and even children - these days, it comes as a mammoth surprise how little people actually know of their connotations. Most of the people, most of the time, will know that they are suffering from a severe case of anxiety and depression but will hardly ever know what to do next. Knowledge pertaining to anxiety and depression usually ends at just being aware of the problem - as, for the solution, it is bare to be seen.

Adults have always had the most complaints regarding their being depressed but as we move on we find an alarming number of young adults and children joining the brigade of the depressed and the stressed. In most of the cases the cause of stress and anxiety is not difficult to put down either - financial problems, childhood abuse, post-traumatic stress, loss of a loved one, failure - there is an entire list of things that could cause stress and anxiety in a person. And while it is important, most certainly, to point out what the root cause of depression really is, what is equally important and is totally dismissed is the solution - people often focus on the cause, and the effect, but never the solution.

This is exactly where the misplaced priority lies and needs to be corrected - and it needs to be corrected immediately for anxiety and stress are phenomena that gradually and eventually break a person down completely. Before that breaking point is reached, it is imperative that such depressing phenomena are dealt with accordingly.

It is easy to identify feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety. The symptoms are telltale and all too common as of today - there is a general feeling of dejection and sadness, the person feels the constant need to isolate himself, doesn't talk to people or sit with people or hang around people in general, and lacks both in his sleep and nutrition. People suffering from the like might not know instantly that there is something off, but over time it becomes evident that there is a perpetual feeling of unhappiness that surrounds them, topped with nervousness, helplessness, worthlessness, and other such feelings.

Generally, the aura is negative, pessimistic, and cynical. Silver linings are not to be seen and optimism becomes an archaic concept. These are people for whom the glass is either half empty, or poisoned, or simply not there. A sense of loss envelops them and failure seem to overshadow all achievements. And while such people might be shunned and written off as "melodramatic," depression, stress, and anxiety are all too real and all too problematic to be brushed under the carpet so fleetingly. If and as soon as a person realizes he is a victim of anxiety - or even if people around him realize such - he needs to be cured of the devil's disease: because the longer one stays under grey clouds, the more he is prone to delve into grey areas better not penetrated if one's own welfare is dear.

So how exactly do you overcome anxiety or work towards curing it if you realize you're a victim? Well, a visit to the therapist or a psychiatrist does sound like a good enough idea but here's a list of things that will better help you in taking care of yourself - and none of these tidbits will force you to open up in front of a person when you'd rather drown in the depths of self-pity:

1. Exercise

It might sound odd, yes, but exercising not only relaxes your muscles - it relaxes your body in its entirely. Exercising has always been good for the body, good for the soul, and good for the spirit. Take out half an hour - just a measly 30 minutes - from your daily routine and work those muscles off. Let the heat out - and pull the fresh air in.

2. Yoga

Meditation is not known for its therapy like effects for nothing. Meditating for even 20 minutes each morning will let you revel in a sense of calmness and serenity as you never felt before. Yoga is a perfect medium of cure when it comes to stress that as spread to all parts of your body - remember, when the heart is sick, you need to sit back and let it all out into thin air. Yoga or meditation offers a great therapy for those under stress.

3. Say No to Caffeine

This might sound harsh - but you need to cut down on caffeine intake. Drop coffee. Drop tea. Go with water or juices. Alcohol and caffeine can technically infuriate and stress you further - which is something you do not want happening to you.

4. EAT

Yes, stress and anxiety do make you want to not eat, not do anything basically, but you do need to eat and eat properly. Do not skip meals, no matter how badly you want to. Go with your proper intake of meals, and keep your body in perfectly nutritious balance. A healthy body is a key to a healthy spirit - and stress sickens the spirit as well as the body. Work on feeding both!

5. SLEEP

Even if you are not drowsy. Just lie down. Close your eyes. Try and go into that sweet place called dreamland and forget about your fears for once. Sleep is an extremely important factor in people's health and especially for people who suffer from anxiety and stress. These people usually end up patients of insomnia and with huge eye bags which make them look like half vampires and half zombies - lack of sleep also is ill for your general health. It makes you cranky, and even angrier. Not to mention less energetic. You will feel drowned, exhausted, and more stressed out than normal. It is a fact well known that proper sleep leads to a proper functioning of the body - and leads to a proper cure for anxiety as well!

Thank you for reading.

Visit our blog for more articles: http://www.lindencoaching.com


 By Linden Smith

Article Source: How to Deal With Anxiety and Stress - 5 Best Ways

Silent Epidemic: Dealing With Mental Health Problems in School Students

Mental health problems are common, ranging from simple mental disorders such as depression and anxiety to more rare conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia. Mental disorders can occur to anyone, irrespective of race, gender, ethnicity or age group. And, when it comes to children, mental health conditions can hamper their ability to cope with the pressures of school, interacting with friends or society.

Surprisingly, the rate of prevalence of mental disorders in school-going children is almost similar to that of adults. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), just over 20 percent (or 1 in 5) children experienced serious symptoms of mental health condition either currently or at some point during their life. Fortunately, most mental disorders are treatable, and a lot of individuals with some sort of mental disability continue to function normally in their daily life.

Mental disorders in school-going children can have severe consequences

Despite alarming statistics, mental health problems continue to remain a silent epidemic in school. Mental disorders in children can range from common conditions such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and behavior disorders, to Tourette's syndrome, eating disorder or depression.

However, be it any disorder, a mental health condition is sure to deteriorate a child's quality of life. These illnesses, in fact, become a hindrance for their career and in leading a healthy life. As a result, they tend to isolate themselves from others, become silent and remain aloof from their family and friends. While parents of these children are aware about the condition, their silence and alienation is often misinterpreted by their teachers and school staff, which further adds to their dismay and distress.

Studies have shown that the symptoms of most mental disorders start appearing in the early childhood, however, a few of them may also develop throughout the teenage years. Often, signs such as increased obedience, silence, alienation, etc., could be suggestive of an underlying mental disorder, however, they are often treated as normal behavioral traits, and hence, overlooked.

According to experts, schools can play an important role in identifying students with mental health conditions and in enabling them to receive the required help. For instance, students who consistently show their reluctance to go to school may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Students facing problems in concentrating or exhibiting hyperactivity in school may have underlying ADHD or other related disorder. Apart from showing increased absenteeism, a mentally ill child is fearful of making new friends, hesitates in interacting with teachers or other students or remains extremely silent in class.

Mental disorders in children, if left untreated, may lead to severe consequences affecting their overall development and growth. Hence, the need of the hour is to educate the teachers and school staff about the signs and symptoms of commonly occurring mental disorders in children, so that they can be provided with the required help and support at the right time.

Seeking professional help

Schools are the interface between the children and the outer world. While almost all children suffer from anxiety in their initial school days, a few others exhibit the symptoms that prevail until adulthood. Thus, schools can play an important role in helping these children cope with their symptoms. It is important to diagnose mental illnesses at the earliest so that a proper treatment can be provided to ensure minimum damage. Mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, can significantly disrupt the day-to-day activities, especially in children, putting their adulthood at stake.

If your child is suffering from anxiety disorders, contact the Sovereign Mental Health Services to get treatment from trained professionals at our anxiety disorders treatment centers. Call us at our 24/7 helpline number 866-973-7164 to get more details on our anxiety disorders treatment.

 By Susan Navarez


Article Source:  Silent Epidemic: Dealing With Mental Health Problems in School Students

EFT for Vets With PTSD

We've heard so many stories of veterans who live with PTSD in Iraq and Afghanistan or vets who come home and struggle with PTSD. For a long time, there was a stigma around the kinds of emotional pain and traumatic stress that vets were experiencing, and they tried to hide it from friends, family, other soldiers and vets, and doctors. This may be changing. As it's becoming known that PTSD is, in a way, a "normal" reaction to experiencing the horrors of war-seeing buddies die or get injured, killing other people, being injured oneself-soldiers and vets are feeling less fear that they'll be stigmatized and are accepting the fact that they're suffering from PTSD.

PTSD is painful and has consequences in one's life

As a veteran of wars, knowing that you have PTSD and accepting the fact is a good first step. That doesn't take away the emotional pain, though. It's with you every day. There are a number of treatments being used to try to help vets heal from the symptoms of PTSD. Many take a long time; many offer only partial success.

Symptoms of PTSD

The symptoms of PTSD tend to be similar, whether they're caused by war experiences or other terrifying or painful experiences. Some examples include:



Recurring nightmares similar to the terrifying or painful event(s)

Recurring intrusive images, body feelings and/or emotions that evoke the event(s)

Difficulty sleeping

Difficulty concentrating, spaciness

Quick anger or sadness; chronic sadness or depression; emotional pain

Feeling separate from life, from what's happening or even from your body

Difficulty enjoying things you used to enjoy

Difficulty feeling connected to others; feeling you can't love anymore

A feeling of isolation

Chronic grief

EFT for PTSD

Although war experiences are very different from experiences that most people will ever go through, the way you're suffering with PTSD is similar to that experienced by anyone who has experienced severe threat in their lives. There are some differences, of course, include survivor's guilt, guilt around your own violence toward others, the feeling that no one can understand what you've gone through and culture shock when you come back to civilian life.

With an experienced EFT Practitioner/psychotherapist, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a method that is often extremely effective and relatively quick in healing symptoms of PTSD. It takes away the negative charge from traumatic experiences and gives traumatized people distance from the trauma. After relatively few sessions, clients often experience traumatic events as being far away from them, the emotional pain is gone. It becomes just matter of fact, like watching a movie from a great distance. Relationships improve and your ability to get on with life in the civilian world also improves.

Zoe Zimmermann, MA, LPC is a Certified EFT Practitioner and long-time licensed psychotherapist. She uses EFT Tapping as her modality for fast breakthroughs with core issues and specializes in clients who suffer with PTSD from accidents, surgeries, abuse, dysfunctional family dynamics, other traumas and physical pain.

EFT is an exceptionally effective energy psychology and alternative therapy, where EFT Tapping on acupuncture meridian pressure points is used to take emotional charge out of traumatic and painful memories and experiences, often alleviating pain.

Zoe conducts in-person, phone or Skype sessions. Schedule a session now by calling 303-444-1195 or visit Zoe Zimmermann's website.


 By Zoe Zimmermann


Article Source: EFT for Vets With PTSD

How to Live With Tourette's Syndrome

It can be very difficult to live with Tourette's syndrome. Further, it is a mental disability that is very hard to explain to others, even loved ones. Yet, there are many individuals who live with this condition and are trying to live normal lives. It can be hard to do this, given that very few people know about the condition.

Tourette's syndrome is a medical condition of unknown cause which is characterized by a presence of chronic, muscular tics, and at least one vocal/phonic tic. Some common motor tics are blinking, head nodding, face grimacing, and nose twitching as well as throat clearing, sniffing, and coughing.

A tic is an abrupt, sudden and jerky repetitive movement that involves discrete muscle groups. Tics often mimic a normal coordinated movement, varying in intensity and are non-rhythmic. These tics are usually involuntary, making them even harder to control.

Here are a few ways to live with Tourette's syndrome:

1. Develop a positive attitude. Always think that you will succeed. Thinking that things will go wrong will do very little to boast your self-esteem and give you a good quality of life.
2. Remember that success breeds success. It is important to put yourself into successful situations as much as possible. The more successful you are now, the more successful you will be in the future.
3. Accept your disability without judging yourself or feeling bad about it. People can be very ignorant and unfair. Make sure that you are kind to yourself as much as possible. Remember there is nothing you can do about your disability. So, try to accept it.
4. Be assertive and advocate for yourself as much as possible. Be an advocate for yourself. Don't be dependent on others. Do things yourself and be proud of what you have accomplished, no matter how little. Understand your rights. Learn to be assertive to get what you need.
5. Stay active. Exercise can ease stress and help you feel better about yourself. It can also ease tension and help control your condition, especially in situations when your feel overwhelmed.
6. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Everyone, regardless of ability or disability, has strengths and weaknesses. Know what yours are. Build on your strengths and find a way around your weaknesses.
7. Ask for help, if you need it. Be specific when asking for help. What is it exactly that you need? Be careful and concise with your request, and you will be sure to ask pleasantly.

By taking these steps, you will be living as well as you can with Tourette's syndrome. And you will be able to tell people what you need and others will more readily accept you as a result.

Irene S. Roth writes for teens, tweens, and kids about self-empowerment. She is the author of over thirty-five books and over five hundred online articles. She also has four hundred and sixty published book reviews both online and in print. In addition, she has several books published about determining if you're in the midst of a sociopath. Please double click on this link to read about one of them:    https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/710869


 By Irene Roth


Article Source: How to Live With Tourette's Syndrome

The Anxiety Opportunity

It seems to hold true that western society in particular is experiencing a significant amount of depression and anxiety. Whilst third world countries suffer with physical health problems, mental health appears to be the weak point in wealthier countries. It's easy to blame westerners for being entitled softies but the correlation between material security and increased anxiety is significant; I believe it signals an emergence from problem-solving at the survival level to problem-solving at the personal development level.

Let's start by defining anxiety as the anticipation of pain and suffering. Anxiety has three core aspects:



Thoughts

Emotions

Sensations

Most people who experience anxiety are very conscious of the emotional aspect and anxiety is often considered an exclusively emotional experience. However, under close observation it becomes apparent that the trigger for the emotional part of anxiety is preceding thoughts - ideas and beliefs that the near or distant future holds the promise of pain. We've all experienced this when we're told the boss wants to see us and we think we we're in trouble as we anticipate an unpleasant consequence. The thoughts, feelings and sensations we have leading up to that moment is anxiety.

Sometimes feeling anxious is valid; our expectation of future suffering is accurate and anxiety is the perfect preparation for handling a problem because it prepares our body to 'fight' or 'flee'. The biochemistry behind anxiety creates oxygenated muscles, a slowed-down digestive system (that sick feeling) and a hyper-vigilance to the environment which is useful for fighting or running, all at the expense of thinking logically which would slow-down our reaction times. Anxiety typically motivates us to avoid pain and suffering which, from an evolutionary point of view is highly adaptive. If we're walking through the woods and believe we notice a bear up ahead, avoiding the potential suffering is the best approach to take - skedaddle!

However, sometimes our anxiety is invalid because the problem doesn't exist, or the problem is being exaggerated and we overreact to the perceived threat. When this overreaction becomes regular and hard to control we have dysfunctional anxiety; this means the anxiety reduces our functioning rather than enhances it.

Typically, people hope for the perceived threat to diminish and in the meantime, metaphorically they hide in the bushes waiting for the imaginary bear to pass. However, when we use this method to respond to exaggerated unrealistic fears it has the effect of increasing our anxiety and, over time, reducing our skills for dealing with problems as we avoid them rather than face them and miss-out on the practice we require for handling difficult situations. Think of it like this: you can either hope the problem gets weaker or try to get stronger - most people opt for option one.

Those who are smart and courageous try the second option; they invest in becoming stronger so they have the capacity to handle more rather than hoping that life demands less. These people reap the rewards of improving themselves, they see life is an opportunity to learn more, be more and have more. There's no guarantee that you won't experience worry and anxiety, but people who face their fears are always the ones we admire the most.

If you can reframe the experience of anxiety (when there is no real threat) as a signal that you currently lack the skills to handle something, it can be the perfect invitation to growth. If I feel uncomfortable disagreeing with my boss, perhaps I need to learn some negotiation skills and book-in for a weekend workshop. If I regularly avoid thinking about money because it always makes me feel stressed, perhaps a serious visit to a financial advisor is in order and downloading some budgeting software would be the kindest thing I can do for myself.

For those of us in the relatively safe and luxurious west, anxiety is unlikely to be a true indication of impending physical harm, rather than an exaggeration of some more practical problem we are failing to solve. In this light, you can take the opportunity to combine anxiety with courage and self-care and transmute it into personal growth.

For more important articles that celebrate, educate and elevate, visit the website...   https://valerie-ellis.com/blog/



 By Valerie Ellis


Article Source: The Anxiety Opportunity

Tips to Beat Social Anxiety During Holiday Shopping

The holiday season is associated with a lot of joy, fun, feasting, outing and shopping. But it is secretly dreaded by some who loathe the very idea of going to crowded shopping places. Such people suffer from what is known as social anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety disorder or social phobia is a type of anxiety disorder where the sufferer is paranoid of social situations. This extreme anxiety, which is always unreasonable, is a kind of self-consciousness, which is rooted in the fear of being closely monitored, judged and criticized by others.

However, experts have some tips for such people who may be struggling due to their condition, deprived of the excitement and joy of interacting with others or shopping during the holiday season or for that matter participating in any social occasion.

Here, we look at some of the tips:


Having a plan in place: Experts believe that having a plan in place can help people suffering from social anxiety. When it becomes unavoidable to relegate shopping to a later date, one should plan ahead such as where to go for shopping, the best suitable time, i.e., when the maximum crowd does not turn up and leave before it does. Advance planning can help dissipate a lot of internal anxiety.

Opting for online shopping: A lot of the actual fun of shopping during a festive season gets diluted in online shopping but for those who suffer from social anxiety, it is a big boon. When buying becomes indispensable during such a busy season, online shopping helps by doing away with the hassle of jostling in the crowd at shopping malls and marketplaces.

Choosing the right shopping center: When going out and shopping becomes unavoidable for any reason and doing so online is not an option, the best thing to do is to choose the right shopping mall or market. While the indoor malls are heavily crowded and it gets difficult to push through the crowd, an outside mall, on the other hand, sees lesser footfalls. Thus, they can be a better option for such shoppers who are petrified of moving around in crowded shopping areas. They also provide an opportunity to walk around in the open.

Taking somebody along: This is another pragmatic solution provided by experts to those who have a social anxiety problem. Instead of venturing out alone into a market which is already a place that triggers anxiety, taking along somebody with whom one feels comfortable is a reasonably good idea. It acts as a support system and helps thwart anxiety. It can also be comforting for the person afflicted with anxiety.

Reminding oneself of tips that help in calming: Experts recommend that people who suffer from anxiety develop handy techniques or tips to calm down. This will also help them overcome any tendencies to create anxiety within. Not only that such tips can be a convenient way to deal with anxiety while shopping in crowded places.

Recovery road map
Anxiety disorder is a common mental health problem which affects about 18.1 percent adults in the U.S. Although it is manageable, delaying the treatment could lead to deterioration of symptoms and the patient may end up facing greater hurdles during treatment. Timely treatment is the key to recovery.

If a loved one is suffering from an anxiety problem, contact Sovereign Mental Health Services, a preeminent mental health treatment organization in the U.S., which offers comprehensive treatment for almost every mental health condition. Call at our 24/7 helpline number 866-973-7164 for more information about our anxiety disorders treatment. we have world-class facilities in all major places in the country.


 By Susan Navarez


Article Source: Tips to Beat Social Anxiety During Holiday Shopping

Natural Stress Relief With Aquaponics

The Stress of Modern Day Living

It's a big issue today and almost daily we hear about how stressed out people have problems at home and at work, are unable to cope with managing their time and all kinds of other related issues. These people label themselves as stressed or extremely stressed and feel they just can't cope any more. And what's more the numbers are growing daily to the point where it is likely that someone you know will be touched by this debilitating condition.

This has resulted in the use of prescription drugs soaring as consumers seek instant relief for their Stress related problems. A consequence of this is that queues to visit doctors are getting longer and longer.

Natural Stress Relief through Gardening

But now, this is all beginning to change as alternative solutions are being found. Solutions which are focussed on more healthy, natural solutions for stress and anxiety relief.

Gardening has emerged as an All-In-One remedy that helps people to relieve stress using a 2 pronged approach to their mental and physical well-being. We now know that gardening is an excellent way to exercise but more importantly it has also been shown to be a great stress reliever.

Additionally, gardening has the additional benefit of providing quality home-grown produce whilst at the same time it has the added benefit of being outdoors in the fresh air, all helping to reduce the effects of stress.

The great thing about reducing stress through gardening is that it has the added benefit of improving your fitness levels and can lead to a healthier lifestyle. Gardening gives your body and mind a chance to refresh itself on a regular basis, inviting nature into your life and utilizing all of your senses to maximise tranquility in your life.

How Aquaponics Can help reduce Stress

We know that virtually all aspects of gardening can help reduce stress and anxiety but some aspects of gardening can be more beneficial than others. Aquaponics is one such specialist area that really does focus the mind and can lead to a reduction in blood pressure and improvements in anxiety disorders.

So what is Aquaponics? The most simple explanation is that it is the dovetailing of raising fish - Aquaculture and the soil-less growing of plants - Hydroponics that grows fish and plants together in one integrated system. The waste produced by the fish provides an organic food source for the plants to grow and the plants provide a natural filter system for the water the fish live in.

There are also the microbes (nitrifying bacteria) and composting red worms which thrive in the growing media. Their job is to convert the ammonia from the fish waste first into nitrites, then into nitrates and the solids into Vermicompost which is the food for the plants.

In combining both systems Aquaponics capitalizes on the benefits and eliminates the drawbacks of each.

Aquaponics is a great hobby and you will find that it will serve a variety of purposes.

If you want to Learn More about Aquaponics and even how to Build your Very Own Home Aquaponic System then Click Here


 By Mike King


Article Source: Natural Stress Relief With Aquaponics