Feeling out of control

I think a lot of us are feeling a little bit (or a big bit) out of control at the moment. Coming up to Christmas and not being quite sure if Covid will be playing a big or just a little part in our plans is weighing on a lot of people’s minds right now, I am definitely seeing it in my clients and am treating a lot of anxiety and stress as a result, which then can present quite often in physical symptoms.

I had a real hit of it myself this last couple of weeks when I realised my little boy, Theo, will have to be registered for nursery now to start next September.  I had assumed we would have him at home for another year, but he has his birthday on the cut-off date, so it seems he will be starting school far sooner than I had expected, talk about feeling out of control!

To top that off, my eldest, Lily, will be starting ‘big-school’ in September too, it feels like it was no time ago that she was running through the Nursery doors!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, one theory on anxiety or worry, is that a person is experiencing excessive energy. You may hear me talking about excess heat or qi, and with anxiety, this excess is located in the head.  Symptoms of this can include insomnia, racing thoughts and excessive, out of control, worry, heart palpitations, dizziness and sweating.

It is a very real thing to experience physical symptoms due to emotional stress.  Traditional Chinese Medicine has acknowledged for centuries that the mental, emotional and physical experiences of human beings are all inextricably linked.  E.g. a car accident that creates even minor injuries to the body might trigger future panic attacks, phobias or PTSD.  Other times a mental health condition like anxiety, can affect sleep, eating and other behaviours to such an extent that a person becomes more susceptible to illness and disease.  

Not surprisingly, there have been rising cases in cases of Agoraphobia (the fear of leaving one’s home) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

So what can we do when we feel this way?

Obviously I’m going to big-up acupuncture here, it is incredible at balancing the central nervous system and clearing excess heat.  You will rarely see me without needles sticking out of me come September when Theo and Lily are taking their next big steps! 

But what can we at home and as a part of our every day life to help?

·      Meditation or prayer – studies have shown that regular meditation or calming mindfulness practises can significantly reduce anxiety 

·      Physical exercise – Chinese Medicine leans more towards gentle movement, to balance energy and qi, think yoga, pilates, tai-chi, qi gong,  walking, swimming etc.… anything that makes your body warmer and more relaxed while quieting the mind is a great start.

·      Good eating habits – Caffeine, sugar and highly processed foods can trigger anxiety. Ever heard of tryptophan?  It’s an essential amino acid, which promotes better sleep, relief from depression and anxiety and even strengthened pain tolerance! It can be found in the following foods:

Ø  chicken

Ø  eggs

Ø  cheese

Ø  fish

Ø  peanuts

Ø  pumpkin and sesame seeds

Ø  milk

Ø  turkey

Ø  tofu and soy

·      Being aware of and having tactics to reduce your stress – Reducing stress goes hand in hand with reducing anxiety. Especially now, with all that’s going on, carefully manage your daily activities as not to become overwhelmed.  Think about limiting the amount of negative news you watch and the amount of screen time you expose yourself to.

·      Surround yourself, as much as possible, with uplifting, positive and genuinely nice people and try to limit your time around those that you feel drag you down and put a negative spin on everything!

·      Think about your sleep pattern – the more rested you are the better you are able to function.  Turn off screens an hour before bed, limit caffeine and wine during the early/late evening, (both stimulants), create a quiet, cool, peaceful de-cluttered bedroom space, stick to a regular bedtime and if there’s lots of worries spinning around your head when you lay down, have a piece of paper and pen handy to write them all down, clear your head and give you a better chance at that peaceful sleep.

I hope these tips help you if you are feeling anxious at the moment.  I think it’s crucial to give ourselves a break too and be extra kind and patient with ourselves.  The world is a strange place right now and we are all dealing with a lot of uncertainty.  So that saying that’s so popular at the moment, ‘it’s cool to be kind’, apply that to yourself too, in bucket loads!

Love,

Sarah x