Anxiety
If the symptoms below are familiar to you, I understand how draining anxiety can be and how it can interfere in every day living. I can support you to reduce and manage the syptoms you experience to be able to live your life the way you would like. Working together we can identify key patterns that perpetuate the anxiety cycle, which can inform changes and adjustments that will help improve your quality of life.
Emotional symptoms
- Feeling nervous, worried, or on edge
- A sense of dread or impending danger
- Irritability
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Difficulty relaxing
- Restlessness
Thought-related symptoms
- Excessive worrying
- Racing thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
- Overthinking situations
- Expecting the worst-case scenario
- Feeling mentally "foggy"
Physical symptoms
- Increased heart rate or palpitations
- Chest tightness or discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Nausea or stomach upset
- Muscle tension and aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Tingling sensations in hands or feet
- Dry mouth
Sleep-related symptoms
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking frequently during the night
- Restless sleep
- Waking feeling unrefreshed
Behavioural symptoms
- Avoiding situations that trigger anxiety
- Seeking constant reassurance
- Difficulty making decisions
- Withdrawing from social situations
- Procrastination due to worry
- Increased use of coping behaviours such as checking, planning, or over-preparing
Symptoms of a panic attack
Some people with anxiety also experience panic attacks, which can include:
- Sudden intense fear
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sweating
- Shaking
- Feeling unable to breathe
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Feeling detached from reality
- Fear of losing control or dying
How psychotherapy can help?
Anxiety is often more than simply feeling worried, living with anxiety can feel isolating. It can be linked to past experiences, current life pressures, relationship difficulties, trauma, low self-esteem, perfectionism, loss or significant life changes. Many people find themselves keeping their worries hidden from friends, family or colleagues.
Sometimes people know exactly what is causing their anxiety, at other times, feeling anxious can seem confusing or difficult to understand.
Psychotherapy can help strengthen your ability to manage difficult emotions and navigate life's challenges with greater confidence.
How Yoga therapy can help?
Yoga therapy offers a holistic approach to managing anxiety by working with both the mind and body. Unlike a general yoga class, yoga therapy is tailored to your individual needs, symptoms, health history and goals. Sessions are designed to support your nervous system and help you develop practical tools for managing anxiety in everyday life.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to anxiety. Yoga therapy sessions are tailored to your unique needs and may incorporate movement, breathing practices, relaxation techniques, mindfulness and psychoeducation. Sessions are suitable for people of all ages and abilities and can be adapted for those who are new to yoga or who have health conditions affecting movement.
When practiced regularly, the individual combination of grounding, breath practices, yoga postures and relaxation balance and regulate the heightened "fight/flight" response of nervous system to be more able to access the parasympathetic nervous system or "rest and digest". These practices help to reduce the physical and mental and emotional symptoms of anxiety: poor sleep, shaking, restlessness, muscle tension, nausea, digestive problems, sweating, shortness of breath, palpitations, panic attacks, tiredness, negative thought cycles, excessive worry, poor focus and concentration, forgetfulness and irritability.
