The Devon Clinic

Tag: Anxiety

  • Change one thing reduce boredom and stress

    Each day deliberately do something a little different

     

    Are you climbing the walls or bored with your new normal? Most of us have become accustomed to staying in a lot more and as a result, are feeling a little restless and depressed at our daily routines. The novelty and excitement of trying new things have depleted as we spend more of our time just blindly getting through the hours. These new feelings of deflation, sadness, lack of energy and anxiety can be subtle, but they are powerful, but you can do something about it.

     

    Change one thing

    To reverse some of the boredom and stagnation in your routine, change one thing. Not only will you have something new and different to look forward to it will also improve your mental wellbeing. Of course, to change that one thing requires willpower and to ensure it sticks you are going to have to mentally coach yourself to get off the couch and do it.

    Our tips below can help kick start the change:

    • Deliberately do something different every day. For example, pick an hour to do something you enjoy, such as reading, crafts or baking. You can tidy or rearrange that drawer or cupboard that you’ve been meaning to get around to.
    • Keep a good schedule. A stable sleep routine is very important and will impact on your daily productivity levels. Write down key things you want to accomplish on certain days. Having a calendar of activities and marking them off will give you a sense of accomplishment. It will also give the day meaning and help them from rolling into a monotonous never-ending loop.
    • If possible, get some sun each day. Spending upwards of 15 minutes outdoors will trigger your body to produce serotonin, needed for good mental health. It is also a great way to change the scenery around you.
    • Do that job. That one (or many) that you have been putting off for a long time. Call that friend or relative, declutter that cupboard, sort through your clothes, that junk drawer or clean those windows.
    • Move around. Most of us can admit we’ve found it hard not to drink copious tea and coffee while we watch endless boxsets on our sofas. With some dogged determination, we can break this cycle and incorporate a little more movement into our daily lives.

    change one thing“My partner and I were starting to argue a lot last week,” says Lucy. “We are both working from home and bored out of our minds.” When people are bored, they start to nit-pick at each other, and those snide remarks can turn into rows. Lucy and her partner decided to change one thing; every day at 2 pm they would go for a bike ride.

    Lucy quickly noticed how much they needed this release. Their joints were stiff from sitting at their computers all day. The fresh air and change of scenery helped relieve tensions that were building up at home.

    She says that by having this little thing on their calendar makes them feel more in control. Boredom strikes when you don’t have anything that looks like a goal. By doing one thing each day, regardless of the task, creates a sense of accomplishment.

    Click here to see what therapies we offer to support your mental health. If you are unsure which therapy would suit you fill in the contact form below and one of our team will be in touch.

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  • Has Your sleep Gone out of sync?

    insomnia

    Have you found your set sleep and wake routine becoming blurred? You are not alone.

    Before I started working from home, I had a rather strict sleep routine. During the week I went to bed no later than 10.30 pm and woke up at 8 am. In the morning I would get up, get ready for work and leave by 8.40 am. Now, no two days are the same. Some nights I do go to bed at 10, others its 2 am. In the mornings, I can be awake at six or struggle to pull myself out at 8.55 to sign on to the system for 9 am. The days I have to force myself out of bed I spend in a confused haze, usually in nightwear and a cardigan.

    The days and nights blur, and as it is light until almost 9, it is hard to shift to night mode. Add to that the constant anxiety and negative press at every turn, I shouldn’t be surprised I’m finding routine tough, but I am. And I am not alone either.

    Over the past couple of months, millions have moved to work from home to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. For many, the experience has profoundly impacted their routines.

    “I sometimes wake up at 4, or 5 am even if I go to bed at 11 or 12, and I’m busy homeschooling three small children,” my friend said during a video call as she made dinner for her family. She went on to say that other days her children come in to wake her, which can be anytime from 6-10 am! “I sometimes just lay there in bed for hours unable to fall asleep.”

    sleepMany therapists have noticed the rise in clients reporting that they are having trouble sleeping.

    They note that even those that are used to working remotely or even from home are struggling. New challenges such as having their partner or children around, not being able to go outside, stress and anxiety about the constant influx of negative news and worries about family and friends are making things harder.

    Managing these stressors has led people to stay up later or snacking at odd times. These are normal responses, but they do wreak havoc on the circadian rhythm-the process that regulates the natural sleep-wake cycle.

    When I told a therapist that I’ve been doing just that-sleeping later in the morning to compensate for late nights, I was told not to do this. The therapist said to me that within a week, you’d be used to this pattern, so it is better to get up at your regular time. They advised to avoid napping and nighttime news (to avoid extra stress/worry) and to exercise in the morning sun as it gives energy.

    Sunlight is key to sleep

    Sunlight is the number one factor that affects our circadian rhythm. It lets our body know when to wake up and go to sleep, so being inside all of the time can disrupt the signals. Food also plays a part, so if you have been snacking more than usual close to bedtime, it can also play a role in why you are having a harder time going to sleep.

    Above all, hold on to whatever normalcy you can. Eat, sleep, shower, work, exercise as you did before Coronavirus. If you live with others, try to get them to follow the same routine so that you aren’t all fighting different zones of the day/night.

    If you are struggling, reach out. You can speak to one of our therapists for free. Contact us here, and we will put you in touch with someone.

    Remember, you cannot control the virus, how long you have to stay at home, the news or the economy. But you can control when you sleep and wake, how you manage your day and what you do with those negative feelings. Control what you can, keep an open dialogue and don’t be hard one yourself if something doesn’t go quite to plan.

  • Anxiety Induced Procrastination

    Anxiety Induced Procrastination

    Five commonly misunderstood types of procrastination

     

    Anxiety and procrastination go hand in hand. Often when we feel anxious about something, we put it off. This can be obvious to some, especially those experiencing it. For example, you might put off taking that driving test because you are scared of failing or getting hurt whilst driving. However, the link between anxiety and procrastination is not always clear to sufferers and those around them.

    Below are five types of anxiety-related procrastination often misunderstood and or overlooked. While reading each, think about any tasks you are putting off and see if they fit into one of those categories.

    At the end, we will explain the importance of acknowledging them and how it can help you with your anxiety.

    1. Blaming someone else for your inaction

    Typically anxiety manifests in two ways; anger and hopelessness. If there is something you are putting off due to anxiety, you may find yourself blaming others for your inactions instead of acknowledging the anxiety.

    To an extent, there might be others contributing to your problem, but honing in on this can obscure your responsibility providing you with the ultimate excuse of not being proactive. You still need to partake in active behaviours even if they feel stressful and anxiety-inducing.

    1. Anxiety surrounding a task you have successful experience performing

    People can get anxious completing tasks they have done successfully many times before. This mainly happens when they have not done those tasks for some time; the stakes are higher, there is an audience, or the evaluation process has changed.

    If this happens to you, notice when you become anxious and ask yourself what makes it feel different this time? To aid identification, think about the basic skills involved such as filling in a form, your surroundings, preparation, the journey, studying for a test/exam, the people, and domain.

    To support yourself and overcome the feelings of anxiety, you can reel off the objective evidence of your skills and past successes. Often proving to yourself that you have achieved this many times before will outweigh the negativity.

    1. The anxiety of a small aspect blocks you’re entire progress

    You may not feel edgy, nervous or anxious about all aspects of a task; it could be one element or little point. For example, you want to make a phone call. Talking itself isn’t particularly nerve-wracking but dialling that number and waiting for the person to answer is.

    It is scenarios like these where people label themselves as being anxious about specific tasks when, in fact, it is only 10% of the process they find anxious. Being able to see things clearly, it can help create balanced thinking enabling empowerment.

    1. Feelings of strong resentment about having to do the task at all

    Anxiety can get camouflaged when other strong emotions are more dominant. Anger and blame, as mentioned earlier, are common. Another is resentment about having to do something because you need to that isn’t about a specific person.

    For instance, you may feel resentment about doing part of a task because to you, it feels like a complete waste of your time, or you have to comply with a system that doesn’t feel fair, logical or caring. When an anxious person feels like a system doesn’t work for them, it can trigger senses of not fitting in. Another anxious person may feel they need to comply entirely with all the rules and procedures of the system, which can trigger anxiety about achievement and perfectionism.

    1. Your anxiety is manifesting as perfectionism

    Anxious people sometimes respond to anxiety with perfectionism. When there is something they want to get precisely right, they might design it so detailed that it is way over the top. This turns a perfectly manageable task into one that feels completely overwhelming, thus triggering procrastination. However, the anxious person does not see their approach as overly complicated. They do not realise that the basic task given to them is not nearly as complicated as they have turned it into.

    Why acknowledging anxiety can help

     

    body positive

    If you have diagnosed anxiety, you probably have some coping strategies to help you move past the moment. If you do not have any strategies, then we can support you in creating a custom plan. There are also books and online resources which offer support and guidance.

    Anxiety management strategies, for instance, may take the form of breaking down a task into smaller pieces to make it more manageable. You may still feel anxious, but by doing smaller parts of the job allows you to manage your levels more effectively. Many find exercising or listening to music beneficial when completing tasks they find particularly challenging.

    If you find yourself blaming others for your procrastination, acknowledging the role of your anxiety can help you take self-responsibility. Talking about your anxiety can help you have productive conversations about issues that need resolving, such as when you are making joint decisions with those closest to you. Expressing vulnerability can trigger others to respond in more caring ways so long as you do not overuse the strategy.

    Acknowledgement is empowering and can enable you to become self-compassionate. Instead of beating yourself up for procrastinating, treat yourself kindly over what works well for you. There are times when asking for support to get you through anxiety-provoking tasks is appropriate, especially in areas you tend to shy away from.

    The Devon Clinic offers Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, often known as CBT, Counselling, Coaching and hypnotherapy to support those with anxiety. For further information please complete the form below or contact us directly on 01803 500300 | email: reception@devonclinic.co.uk.

     

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