Christina Neal - How to Feel Less Anxious: Tips and Techniques to Help You Say Goodbye to Your Worries

HOW TO FEEL LESS ANXIOUS

Copyright Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2020

Design by Luci Ward

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers.

Christina Neal has asserted her moral right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Condition of Sale

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

An Hachette UK Company

www.hachette.co.uk

Summersdale Publishers Ltd

Part of Octopus Publishing Group Limited

Carmelite House

50 Victoria Embankment

LONDON

EC4Y 0DZ

www.summersdale.com

eISBN: 978-1-78783-863-5

Substantial discounts on bulk quantities of Summersdale books are available to corporations, professional associations and other organizations. For details contact general enquiries: telephone: +44 (0) 1243 771107 or email: enquiries@summersdale.com.

DISCLAIMER

The author and the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any misuse or misunderstanding of any information contained herein, or any loss, damage or injury, be it health, financial or otherwise, suffered by any individual or group acting upon or relying on information contained herein. None of the views or suggestions in this book is intended to replace medical opinion from a doctor who is familiar with your particular circumstances. If you have concerns about your health, please seek professional advice.

Its natural for all of us to worry from time to time. Usually, our anxious thoughts will pass, or the everyday things that have caused concern will work themselves out in the end. However, constant worrying or feeling fearful for much of the time could be a sign of anxiety. Its important to address anxiety and worry, as they can have a detrimental effect on our health in the long term. It can help to know youre not alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that one in 13 people globally suffers from anxiety. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America claims that anxiety disorder is the most common mental illness in the United States, with approximately 40 million Americans experiencing the condition. In the UK, the charity Anxiety UK says that approximately three million people are suffering from an anxiety disorder.

While it can seem very real and frightening at the time, its reassuring to know that worry and anxiety can be controlled and managed. Understanding what anxiety is and practising different techniques to cope with your anxiety and worry are the first steps toward calming your mind. This book will explore anxiety and worry to give you a better understanding of what might be triggering your anxious thoughts, reveal how you can manage your mindset and ultimately, help you to relieve anxious feelings.

The following pages are packed with tips and tricks to calm yourself, help you to breathe and think more clearly and take life in your stride, rather than feeling that constant buzz of an overly busy brain. So, take a step back from your fears, take a few deep breaths and read on with an open mind

So, what is anxiety? Anxiety is a feeling of fear, unease or worry that can be mild or severe. A person who is suffering from anxiety may find that their worries grow out of proportion to a problem or situation, and feelings can become extremely intense. A sense of feeling overwhelmed can prevail and the person may no longer be able to think clearly. Their thoughts may be irrational and even unfounded, but they can seem very genuine at the time. There are various types of anxiety. According to criteria outlined in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, professionals look for excessive worry combined with physical symptoms, such as impaired concentration, irritability and difficulty sleeping, to name just a few. Anxiety can manifest in many different ways, and not everyone finds it helpful to put a label on their own experience, but it can be useful to understand the most common kinds to see if you identify with one type over another.

Some of the more common kinds of anxiety are:

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) having regular concerns about many everyday aspects of your life.

Social Anxiety Disorder a fear of social situations such as parties or any gathering where you have to talk to and interact with others.

Panic Disorder a symptom of panic disorder is a panic attack. Panic attacks are an exaggeration of your bodys natural response to stress or danger. Symptoms include a pounding heart, feeling faint, dizzy, sick and very hot or cold.

Phobias an extreme fear of an object or situation.

Other types include health anxiety or hypochondria (an obsession about the possibility of being ill), body dysmorphic disorder (an obsession with your appearance and trying to be physically perfect) and Perinatal Anxiety, which can occur during pregnancy or after having a baby.

In this chapter, we look at various triggers for anxiety and begin to look at strategies to deal with them. Part of the solution to managing anxiety is simply to recognize and understand signs and symptoms, so that you are better placed to cope with anxious feelings when they arise.

Remember that negative thoughts are just that thoughts and not necessarily based on reality or what might happen. Next time a negative thought creeps in, write it down, read it back to yourself and question whether or not its really true. Writing these thoughts down will enable you to think about them in a more rational way and you may then find you have an entirely different perspective.

There is an expression: You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. This is so true. If you find yourself surrounded by negative, moaning and unhappy individuals, you will, in time, start to find yourself adopting their negative behaviour. Be aware of how your thoughts start to change when you are around others who have a negative attitude. The more time you spend worrying or dreading things, the more youll be held back.

Try to eliminate negative people from your life. Anyone who constantly moans but doesnt do anything to make their own life better, or anyone who tells you that something cant be done or youre wasting your time, is not going to help you improve your own mindset. Try to surround yourself with upbeat, positive can-do people and you will find that their energy and enthusiasm will have an uplifting effect on you.