{"id":360,"date":"2023-12-04T10:56:18","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T10:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/?p=360"},"modified":"2023-12-04T10:56:18","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T10:56:18","slug":"like-learning-a-new-language-2-2-2-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/2023\/12\/04\/like-learning-a-new-language-2-2-2-2-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n\nAnxiety is a normal and adaptive response to stress or perceived threats. It can manifest as feelings of unease, fear, or apprehension, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, muscle tension, and restlessness. In many situations, anxiety serves as a natural mechanism to heighten alertness and response in the face of challenges.<\/span>\n\nIt’s crucial to recognize that experiencing occasional anxiety is normal and part of the human experience. Life is filled with challenges, uncertainties, and changes, and feeling anxious in response to these situations is a natural reaction. It becomes a concern when anxiety becomes chronic, overwhelming, and begins to interfere significantly with daily functioning.\n\nSigns of Anxiety:<\/u>\n\nExcessive Worrying: Constant and uncontrollable worry about various aspects of life, even when there is little or no reason to worry.\n\nPhysical Symptoms: Persistent physical manifestations such as muscle tension, headaches, stomach aches, and fatigue.\n\nRestlessness and Irritability: Feeling on edge, restless, or easily irritated, even in non-stressful situations.\n\nSleep Disturbances: Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing restless sleep.\n\nAvoidance: Avoiding certain situations or activities due to fear or apprehension.\n\nDifficulty Concentrating: Trouble focusing on tasks, making decisions, or experiencing mental fog.\n\nWhen to Seek Help:<\/u>\n\nPersistent and intense anxiety that lasts for weeks or months may require attention.\n\nFunctional Impairment: If anxiety interferes with your ability to work, socialize, or carry out daily activities, it may be a sign of a more significant issue.\n\nImpact on Quality of Life: If anxiety is negatively impacting your relationships, sleep, or overall well-being, seeking support is advisable.\n\nPhysical Symptoms: If you’re experiencing severe physical symptoms along with emotional distress, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional.\n\nRecognizing and addressing anxiety is a crucial step towards maintaining mental health. While occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, persistent and overwhelming feelings may indicate a more significant issue. If you find yourself wondering, “Do I have anxiety? Is this normal?” reaching out to a mental health professional can provide valuable insights and support in managing and overcoming anxiety. Remember that seeking help is a sign of strength, and there are effective treatments available to help you navigate the challenges of anxiety.\n\nContact me at helenakoleary@gmail.com<\/a> to book a session.\n\n\n\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anxiety is a normal and adaptive response to stress or perceived threats. It can manifest as feelings of unease, fear, or apprehension, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, muscle tension, and restlessness. In many situations, anxiety serves as a natural mechanism to heighten alertness and response in the face of challenges. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You Talkin\u2019 To Me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Self-talk is the internal dialogue that runs through your head every day and can be positive or negative in nature. The language we use with ourselves can have profound effects on mood, health, happiness, motivation, worldview, and achievement of goals. Performance and success are enormously impacted by the way in which we talk to ourselves. Doesn\u2019t it stand to reason that we need to bring this knowledge to the micro-level of our everyday lives in order to improve self-care and well being?<\/p>\n\n\n\n


In a 2022 study published in Psychophysiology, a peer reviewed journal, it was found that manipulating self-talk alters hormonal response patterns and affects respiratory and cardiovascular health as well as influence motivation and outcome of tasks undertaken. Furthermore, by developing an awareness of how we address the self, we flip a switch in the cerebral cortex which is the centre of thought, and another in the amygdala which is the seat of fear. This will move us closer to or further from our sense of self and all its emotional intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Positive self-talk tips: Identify automatic thoughts and unhelpful beliefs\/behaviours\u200b and reality check these thoughts, to speak to yourself as you would speak to a friend and remember that everyone makes mistakes.<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":364,"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360\/revisions\/364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenaoleary.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}