People often confuse the words anxiety, stress and depression by using them in the one sentence. It’s important to explain that they are all different issues, and within each issue is a variety of “types” and symptoms.

Stress tends to be something we are going through in the short-term to medium-term, like moving house, being busy on a work project or dealing with a shortage of money.

Depression tends to be more long-term and can be caused due to a psychological trauma or medical imbalance to do with chemicals in the brain.

Anxiety is not a medical issue but a psychological issue. The medical definition of it is “a feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating and feelings of stress”.

So, what is anxiety?

Amazingly, anxiety is actually something that is built into all of us to protect us. So, what you’re experiencing is actually designed to help you. If you have ever heard of the term “fight or flight response” then that is another term for anxiety.

The fight or flight response is pre-programmed into all of us for one simple reason – survival. Those feelings you get when anxiety strikes are your brain signalling to your body that you are in danger. The brain responds and in a split second, your body springs into action.

The body then pumps adrenaline into your system to allow you to fight (vs. the animal that would be trying to eat you if this were prehistoric times) or flight (outrun the animal.)

Fast forward to modern times; there are no wild animals trying to kill you (most of the time anyway) but the fight/flight response is still built into all of us.

So when we are confronted with modern situations – like being overworked, overburdened, being in long-term debt, dealing with chronic fatigue, traffic jams or situations which we have learned to try to avoid such as a learned phobia (flying, dogs, spiders) – then your fight/flight response kicks in and you have a panic attack.

The reasoning behind it is simple: your brain is seeing or thinking of a “perceived danger”. This issue or worry, which is NOT an actual danger to your life (unlike being chased by a tiger), still sends the message to your body, which in turn kicks off the adrenaline and you get that feeling in your stomach, your temperature rising and all the symptoms we associate with a panic or anxiety attack.

These symptoms and the severity of the anxiety differs from one person to the next. Plus, anxiety levels will also differ from one situation to the next. For example, one person may see losing their job as a life-changing event if they are living paycheck to paycheck. Another person may lose their job but may have savings and fewer money worries, perhaps no bills to pay.

They see the job loss as an opportunity to do the thing in life they have been putting off and relish the challenge. Same problem for both, but different personal situations lead to different levels of anxiety over the issue.

Five ways to manage anxiety

Exercise

It’s widely accepted that exercise can reduce anxiety by nearly 50%. The key is to get up, get dressed and get out for a walk. Take in some fresh air, get some sun and you will feel better. Plus, time alone gives you a chance to process things and clear your head.

Diet

Your body and in turn your mind are just like a car or a plant. If you put the wrong fuel into your car and never serviced it, you wouldn’t expect it to run properly.

If you stuck a plant in a wardrobe and gave it no water or sunlight, you would not expect it to thrive and bloom. Your body is the same, so making sure you eat a healthy diet is the key to a healthy mind. Plus, those who are overweight tend to be more anxious. So remember, – healthy body, healthy mind.

Mindfulness/Hypnosis/Meditation

All these therapies or activities put the brain in the “theta” state. This is a relaxed state of mind which allows the mind to re-boot, just like turning your computer off and on again. Mindfulness and meditation get you to appreciate and live in the moment without worrying about the past or the future. Clinical hypnosis puts you in a highly relaxed and suggestable state which allows positive suggestions to go into your unconscious mind to help make permanent changes.

Counselling/Friends

Some people find talk therapy helpful, like seeing a counsellor or psychologist. Others find it beneficialto sit down with a friend over a cup of tea and chat. Getting things off your chest or just explaining how you are feeling to someone can help bring clarity and lift the burden of the worry off yourself.

Education

When I talk about education, I don’t mean maths or history lessons. I mean educating yourself about the issues that are giving you the anxiety.

For example, you may be worried abour financial problems. However, when you educate yourself about the options the bank can offer you to help you deal with your issues, this should reduce your anxiety.

To get more video advice from Jason, see www.rsvplive.ie. For information on one-to one sessions and online programmes from The D4 Clinic, see www.d4clinic.ie