As Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 draws to a close, TG Lynes’ psychodynamic counsellor Elliot Chapman offers his top tips for dealing with anxiety.
TG Lynes is proud to offer all colleagues the chance to access in-house mental health support with Elliot as part of the business’ commitment to supporting a healthy workforce.
Elliot, of Lexden Counselling, has been working alongside TG Lynes for two years on a fortnightly basis to deliver one-to-one sessions for anyone who needs them.
During that period he has helped more than 30 colleagues to make a real difference to their lives.
Elliot said: “It’s a real pleasure to work with TG Lynes and to help their people with whatever problems they are facing, whether that’s depression, anxiety, relationship issues, anger, low self-worth or stress.
“Many of these people wouldn’t have accessed professional help had it not been available through work, so TG Lynes can feel very proud of that.
“The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year has been anxiety, which is very normal to experience and ultimately is something that keeps us safe. It’s like an in-built alarm system but it can create a sense of nervousness or restlessness, as well as making us nauseous.
“The key to dealing with anxiety is to try to understand where these feelings are coming from and to deploy effective coping strategies.”
Elliot’s tips for managing anxiety
General health
Overall health can play a big part in anxiety. Ideally, we need to be exercising multiple times a week, whether that’s as simple as walking or playing sport. Moving is very important as a by-product of exercise is endorphins, which are happy hormones.
Sleep is also hugely underestimated and plays a massive role in our mood and our physical and cognitive function. Minimal caffeine and alcohol are key to a restful sleep.
Eating a nutritional balanced diet, as well as not snacking, helps to avoid dips in blood sugar, which can have an effect on cortisol, ultimately feeding into stress and anxiety.
Keep hydrated to ensure the body can work at its most efficient level and ensure you leave enough time in your life for social engagement with friends, family and loved ones.
Breathe
Conscious breathing allows you to alter your nervous system, changing it from a parasympathetic nervous system to a karma state. Simply inhale for four seconds and exhale for eight to increase calmness. Aim to do this for between two and five minutes.
Meditate
Meditation helps to bring you back into the present moment and prevent you from getting caught in the future or past. Meditating on a daily basis, even when you’re not feeling anxious, is good practice.
Journaling
Journaling can be very therapeutic. Something special happens when the brain and hand connects and you write about your feelings and thoughts in a very open way. The process helps you to think about what is going on in your life.
Nature
Being in the fresh air and around natural elements can create an energy shift and help you to calm down.
Self-talk
Self-talk and reassuring yourself that you are safe can be really useful in situations when you’re feeling anxious. Whether it’s in your head or out loud, repeat the mantra ‘I am safe’, possibly with your hand over your heart and tummy.
Talk to others
Whether it’s with a therapist, a friend, a co-worker, a family member or a loved one, talking about your feelings can relieve pressure and is very beneficial.
Challenge the thoughts
If you have a persistent thought and it feels like one-way traffic, take a second to challenge it. How do you know this to be true? This helps to create a bit of space between you and the negative thought.
Senses
Draw attention to your senses. What are five things you can see at that moment, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste?
Consumption
We’ve talked about what food we put into our bodies, but what we feed our brains is also important. Think carefully about the media you consume mentally – and how often.
