A new relationship with anxiety

“The first lesson is realising it’s no one else’s fault….the last lesson is realising it’s no-ones fault” Epictetus 

As a person born in the early 80’s, I don’t remember the word ‘anxiety’ coming into my conscious awareness until I was in my 20’s. I didn’t hear it in school or on TV. This week, however, is Children’s Mental Health Week and that’s a sign of just how far we’ve come.

So what’s changed in the last 30 or so years? Perhaps mental health was not talked about and as a culture we adopted a more stiff upper lip. Perhaps the pressures in society have changed. Mobile phone technology and social media have certainly had a huge impact.

Whatever the case may be, anxiety is now a serious social issue and huge numbers of people suffer from this disorder. I know this because of how many anxious clients come through my hypnotherapy practice, after bravely seeking help.

1 in 3 of us suffers from an anxiety disorder at some point in our lifetime.

Even though the culture and the technology has changed, we still have the same brains and nervous systems as our ancestors, so how do we reframe anxiety?

If we didn’t feel anxious thoughts then would we ever get anything done? Neuroscientists, for example, will often define anxiety as one of a number of a ‘mental states’. Rather than being labelled as positive or negative, these states can range from lazy and low energy/arousal to anxious and high energy/arousal.

If, for example, you are relaxed and tired and you’ve set a goal to go to the gym, then you will need to arouse your nervous system to a more anxious, energetic state in order to motivate yourself to achieve your goal.

So we know that anxious states are needed, but why does it tip over to becoming a disorder? This happens when the newer part of the brain, the pre-frontal cortex, makes too many negative predictions about the future. This then builds up as stress in our mind and body and can be crippling.

It’s not the events themselves that make us anxious, it’s the stories we tell ourselves around them.

What’s the solution?

Firstly we need to recognise anxious states as energetic states. We can’t be productive without them and they can serve a really positive purpose with the right mindset.

Also, our mind needs to be able to make some negative predictions in order for us to make the right choices. Negative predictions means adaptation and that’s what has made us such intelligent primates. Your brain is trying to help you, even though it may not feel like it at times.

So with that in mind, it’s time to change the script and use that amazing pre-frontal cortex and our unique human imagination in a way that will help us. Rather than repeatedly making fearful negative predictions, start making more positive ones. But how do we change something that is happening below the level of consciousness and doesn’t come naturally to us?

That’s where hypnotherapy can really help. A hypnotherapist is trained to get you into a trance state and access your subconscious mind to then stimulate these positive ideas and images that then change your programming and neural circuits, to allow more positive predictions of the future to come more naturally and automatically. This means less fear, less anxiety and a more calm and optimistic existence.

Self-hypnosis is another great method, but this is a skill and unless it’s done well, your own limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns tend to creep in and prevent the positive changes.

If you suffer from anxiety and you want change then please don’t hesitate in making that courageous first step in seeking help.

Why not book a consultation now by calling 07401127872 or by messaging through the website?

I offer therapy online or locally in Sheffield.

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