When anxiety gets in the way of the life you want to live, what do you do?

1:13 people globally (from WHO website) experience anxiety. Sometimes for prolonged periods at a time.

For many, this is the “norm” when faced with difficult emotions, decisions & just life in general.

An increasingly large number of the global population experience basic survival instincts that forget to switch off. A norm that includes restlessness, tiredness, migraines, unrealistic worry that is difficult to control, digestive issues, irritability, difficulty concentrating, palpitations, feeling constantly on edge, just to mention a few.

Our whole body system is wired to be seeking, seeing, sensing & responding to stimuli/experiences. When a perceived threat is experienced, a protective stress response “flight or fright” is stimulated. This is the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) taking over. It’s a protective mechanism that ensures our survival. However, when the SNS is running rogue, our body systems move into another level of “the lights are on, but no-one is home" scenario.

Parts of our brain (amygdala) are always on standby ready to send neurotransmitter messages via the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland to the adrenal glands to release a hyper-stimulating cocktail of cortisol, epinephrine, nor-adrenaline into the body to mobilise us into action.

Many of us live in a constant state of fight or flight. Our threat monitor turned up full volume. Leaving us with a multitude of imagined threats coming from fear: loss of a loved one, being in a relationship, financial security, possible health threats or uncertainty about the future.

The "stress hormone" cortisol is believed to create a domino effect that hardwires pathways between the hippocampus and amygdala in a way that might create a vicious cycle by creating a brain that becomes predisposed to be in a constant state of fight-or-flight.
Neuroscientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have found that chronic stress triggers long-term changes in brain structure and function.

But what if learning how to calm your nervous system was easier than you thought

Five Simple Ways to Reduce the cortisol response

Start Small - be gentle. Take a moment to stop whatever you are doing and count to ten slowly. How - Inhale, then on a long exhale sigh the number out. If you lose count, start again until you reach ten. This is a simple meditation and takes no longer than several minutes. You might also be curious about where you hold tension in your body. You might also notice how your feet fit in your shoes or be barefoot on the ground.
Move your body - How - relax your jaw, shrug your shoulders, widen and open your mouth/jaw. Stand up and move away from where you were sitting and change position. Other options - regular yoga, jogging, biking, walking and swimming all dissolves cortisol in the system.
Phone a friend - close-knit human bonds are vital for people at any age. Studies show that human connectivity and physical touch increases oxytocin and reduces cortisol. Spend time with friends and family face to face
Music - Listen to a song/playlist you love or means something to you. Put on headphones so you are completely in the music. Let it flow through you.
Use transition moments - How - Pause for a moment. Count to 3 before you enter a room, or when you pick up your car keys, or when you leave a room. Use these moments to centre yourself, notice your three count breathing and that in these 3 breaths, you are ok. Check-in with yourself, feel where in time and space you are and breathe again.