LET’S TALK ANXIETY
This week was Mental Health Awareness Week This year being Anxiety
Mental ill health can happen to anyone at anytime & it’s great to see weeks like this bringing more awareness
Anxiety is actually a normal response to a perceived threat/fear, anxiety becomes a mental health problem if this starts to impact your wellbeing
(Trigger Warning – Anxiety & Panic Attacks)
Anxiety is something I’ve struggled with & I’m passionate about helping others understand what it is & share tools that can help support your #mentalwellbeing
💚 How Anxiety affected me
My mental health took a turn for the worse at 19 years old, I was one minute enjoying my life, getting ready to go to London & start my career in the media industry when panic & fear took over my life instead. I’ll never forget the first #panicattack I had, this wave took over my whole body & mind, I couldn’t breathe & felt like I was going to die. I had no control over when they would happen to me, why they were happening to me & no idea how to deal with them
💚What it felt like
Physically
– Heart beating incredibly fast
– Shortness of breath
– Feeling dizzy
– Tense muscles
– Feeling sick
-Exhausted
Mentally
– Constant worrying
– Couldn’t concentrate on anything else
– Constant fear of things I didn’t need to be afraid of
Because at the time I knew nothing about Anxiety I didn’t know what to do, who to turn to or how to cope. I was constantly thinking about all of the worst case scenarios that could happen, which I found just made my anxiety even worse
💚Feeling better
Thankfully I found ways to manage my Anxiety. I can recognise it before it’s happening & have lots of tools I use. I am also equipped with the knowledge on how to cope if I end up having a panic attack, which I’m so pleased are few & far between now
There are still times when I have days where my Anxiety creeps back in (especially when you’re suddenly faced with a pandemic!) but it really does help when I know where to turn or what to do if I’m struggling now
You can read more about my story here https://www.innercalmwithjane.com/about
💚You’re not alone
Everyone’s experience is different.
It helped me hearing of other peoples experiences. When you’re struggling with your mental health it can feel very lonely & like you’re the only one it’s happening to. It truly helps to talk & reach out for help & support if you need it
“Stigma & shame play a part in how people deal with their anxiety. Nearly half of the people in our research (45%) were keeping their anxiety secret” – Mental Health Foundation
“One in five people (20%) are anxious most or all of the time” – Mental Health Foundation
“Nearly a third (30%) said they were not coping well with their anxiety” -Mental Health Foundation
I believe we need to be kinder to ourselves, I think we can be too hard on ourselves at times. Know that it’s okay if you need to take time out, to rest, or ask for help
On the days it feels too much, just take it one step at a time, and break things down into what’s manageable for you that day
💚Supporting each other
1- Would you recognise when you or someone else is struggling with their mental health? What signs do you notice?
Share your answers and generate awareness in the comments below 💚
Mine is I go quiet and distant
2- What do you do to support your mental health?
Share your answers in the comments below and let’s help each other find ways to support our mental health 💚
Share with #tohelpmyanxiety
Some of mine are:
Music – playing my favourite song always makes me feel good
Movement – just 20 minutes of yoga helps me feel calmer
Mindfulness – staying present helps stop me feeling overwhelmed
💚Doing great work
Thank you to these incredible people who do amazing work to generate awareness and champion mental health
Jon Salmon
The Prince and Princess of wales
Owen O’Kane
Claudia Barnett
Ben West
Jonny Benjamin MBE
Ella McCrystal
Anxiety & Mental Health support can be found here:
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk
https://www.mind.org.uk
https://www.samaritans.org
Thanks for reading and I hope this helps someone 🙂
Connect with me on Instagram or sign up to the newsletter for more
@innercalmwithjane
Jane x
#wellness #mindfulness #healthandwellbeing #healthandfitness #mentalhealthmatters
