Anxiety

In her third and final post around the subject of what may lie behind the experience of anxiety, Penni shares some valuable information about the different neural pathways involved in anxiety.

Two Neural Pathways to Anxiety

There are two primary neural pathways for anxiety; the cortex and the amygdala. Each pathway can initiate the emotion of anxiety in different ways. Understanding which pathway is behind the experience of anxiety can help in choosing the best way to address symptoms. [Read more…]

In this, Penni’s second post on what may cause us to experience anxiety, Penni explores ‘self-concept’; how it is formed and why, if incomplete, it can cause stress and unhelpful thinking styles, that can lead to anxiety.

Self-Concept

Our self-concept can be simply defined as a fairly comprehensive, general idea of who we are – what we know about ourselves from a physical world perspective. Our interests, what we do and don’t like, what we’re good at, where we might need to improve and our strengths and weaknesses. When it’s complete and accurate, it guides us to make decisions that work best for us. [Read more…]

In a series of three posts, Penni shares her knowledge of some of the underlying reasons for anxiety. Taken from different schools of psychology as well as her own anecdotal experience, Penni introduces some fundamental perspectives on where anxiety may originate, so that those who endure can add a ‘because’ to their experience, opening up the opportunity to heal the cause and so reduce anxiety. Here’s the first post…

Drivers

In the school of psychotherapy called Transactional Analysis (or TA for short) it is suggested that for most of us, our autonomy is under the influence of a concept known as ‘Drivers’. Drivers are said to develop during childhood and are the internalized messages of our parents or caregivers that we learned in order to stay feeling ok. Because these messages were absorbed very early on, they tend to be quite deeply rooted and often outside of our conscious awareness, but it is possible to notice them through our behaviours. There are five Drivers in total. Here’s what they look like: [Read more…]

In this post, Penni explores research that links diet to mental health and how dietary changes may have positive outcomes for those who experience the symptoms of anxiety.

Over the last ten years or so, scientists have been uncovering more and more links between what we eat and our mental health, with most studies focusing on the link between depression and the gut. In more recent years, however, expert attention has been given to expanding this concept and how more mental health conditions, including anxiety, could be in some way linked to what we eat and therefore treated through dietary changes. [Read more…]

Unlike fear, anxiety is all about perceived future based threats – the ‘what-ifs’ that we all experience from time to time. Anxiety tells us to fight or run (which, if we are under threat, would be the right thing to do!) however, paradoxically, if the anxiety alarm rings when it doesn’t need to and we respond, we actually reinforce it. [Read more…]

Does anyone in the room right now feel a little stressed? Stress is the key factor that leads to the development of nerves, overload, or anxiety. A short guest author post for your consideration.

As the majority of the world remains quarantined today, I am writing this while confined to my home. I don’t know what else to call it if this isn’t a period of increased tension and anxiety. [Read more…]

Do you know how to describe your emotions? Can you put words to the way you feel when you’re angry, sad, or happy? If not, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many people find it difficult to articulate their feelings. [Read more…]

We welcome guest author Gabie Lazareff, a certified health coach, yoga teacher and freelance nutrition & wellness writer. After years of navigating the messy waters of mental health, her mission is to share her experiences and advice with others.

Through breathing, the simple practice of breathing, with intent on a regular basis can help to decrease anxiety. But how does breathing decrease anxiety? And what does breathing have to do with yoga?

[Read more…]

An interesting piece by Tim, our resident guest writer taking a look at NLP.

I seem to be tripping over folk in Psychology Today at the moment. I blame Bob, because he’s highlighting articles that are worthy of our attention through his Twitter account. He showed me this piece, How To Deal With Nerves Before A Presentation and I almost like it.

“Will you never stop criticising?” I hear you yell at me!

And the answer is that I will, but in my own time. It’s just like your decision to read this piece. I’m just a smidgen critical this time, though, not angry. [Read more…]

The world we inhabit today is very different from that of our ancestors from hundreds of thousands of years ago. Much of the human brain has also evolved – and some has not evolved enough!

Because we have the same (or similar) primal emotions, we have a mismatch in terms of our beliefs and perceptions arising out of societal conditioning and modern living, resulting for so many of us in chronic stress and anxiety. [Read more…]