Anxiety can really mess up your life
Sometimes you can’t finish the smallest task. Or you don’t even start because you imagine everything that could go wrong. What if you make a mistake? What if something really awful happens?
It’s normal to have doubts but when you are anxious even small problems seem insurmountable and you freeze. It affects your body too – you get hot and bothered, can’t sleep, tense up your neck and shoulders and get a headache. Perhaps you feel sick to your stomach.
There are many triggers
I have had periods of anxiety in my life. Usually triggered by some big change that I didn’t feel confident I could deal with well. Moving house, ending a relationship, starting a relationship, major building works, death of a close friend, new job….. all normal things that happen in life but they sometimes can challenge our belief in ourselves. Sometimes you don’t know what triggered it and the key lies in past memories that have come back to life.
Can acupuncture really help?
As an acupuncturist I have helped many people who suffer from anxiety both long and short term. I know how much energy we lose from sleepless nights, endless looping of thoughts, inability to do things and then having to do it all at once.
Acupuncture re-balances your energy. It helps you relax and get clear. Just having the needles in during your session is surprisingly restful. Many people fall asleep or settle into a deep state of peace that helps them break free from the anxious churning.
Something simple you can do now to help anxiety
- Get some paper and a pen and write down these three words:- STOP BREATHE LOOK
- Tape them to your fridge door or somewhere you will see them often. for the first few days, every time you see them, STOP what you are doing for a few seconds, take a slow deep BREATH and LOOK at something close to you. Really see it, running your eyes over it taking in the colour and the shape.
- Next time your thoughts start to race or your heart to pound, remember those three words and practise stopping, breathing and looking. Look at your hands if you have nothing else.
This exercise brings you back into the present moment and into your body.
What more can I do?
In an acupuncture session we look more deeply into what is happening to you when you feel anxious. Everyone is different so we match the treatments to your individual experience. I also suggest points to massage for calming anxiety whenever you need to.
If you would like to come for an acupuncture session to help with anxiety or any other problem then get in touch with me either by email or by telephone. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.
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Photo credit: Mari Z bupropion xl 150 mg. via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
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