Sarah’s Health Notes: First aid for your mind
Mental Health Awareness Week started this Monday and it’s a subject that rings a jangly peel of bells with me, partly because of my own past problems and also because of the many people I know who suffer from some form of low mood – somewhere along the spectrum of stress, anxiety and depression.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, a quarter of adults have felt so anxious ‘that it stopped them doing from doing the things they want to do some or all of the time’. That’s men as well as women, and increasingly now youngsters, some as young as six years old, are being diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Life today tends to be anxiety-making in many different ways and of course the pandemic didn't help. While feeling a bit anxious can prompt us to take sensible precautions, just as a ripple of stress can help us rise to pressure, the type of anxiety that makes you feel immobile – paralysed almost – is something to take seriously and talk to a health professional.
However, when you sometimes feel caught up in a whirlpool of agitation, there are some simple and effective simple tips that will often calm the storm pretty quickly.
Start with your breath
Breathing rapidly, shallowly and irregularly from the upper chest will keep you in a state of anxiety. Whereas breathing slowly and rhythmically down and up from your belly will make you feel calm immediately It’s also helpful if you wake in the night with a racing brain. Take slow, regular, rhythmic breaths in and out through your nose. Feel the breath going right down to your belly. Hold it there for a few moments, then exhale slowly, gently through your nose. There is no precise timing for this but integrative medicine expert Dr. Andrew Weil recommends inhaling for a count of 4, holding for 7, then exhaling for 8. Practise this whenever you can so that when you need it, it comes easily.
H.A.L.T
Just make sure a cause of your mood isn’t down to being Hungry, Angry (yes, ‘hangry’ is a real thing), Lonely or Tired. So eat something wholesome (best not to binge or give yourself a sugar rush at this point because you’ll likely crash down with a thump) – a milky thing is good because of the magnesium (Nature’s tranquilliser), phone a friend, have a little nap.
Try flower power
I’m a big fan of flower remedies like Bach Rescue Remedy Remedy Spray or Healing Herbs 5 Flower Essence, and always have them nearby; I even carry them with me when I go away.
Go for a walk
This diverts your mind, clears your brain and the movement of putting one foot in front of another is soothing. Moving our physical body keeps us in the present and can burn off stress hormones. Five, ten, 15 minutes takes you out of that anxiety, especially if you use your senses at the same time (see below).
Go green – or blue!
Jo goes down to the sea whereas I find a green landscape the most soothing – though I love a stream.
I’ve just written up an interview with ‘green prescription’ doctor William Bird on the healing power of nature; amazing research to uphold that. Find it here.
Use your senses
Look at the natural things around you. Hear the sounds. Smell the aromas – good and not so. Feel the touch of the breeze on your skin. Take a drink with you and taste it…
Tell yourself a positive mantra
Something affirming like ‘all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well’. (That’s from the medieval mystic Julian of Norwich.) Repeat several times. I also tell myself ‘Just for today, I will not worry’ – and yes, I mostly need to repeat that one several times too.
Don’t lean in, lean back
We all know the buzz phrase about ‘leaning in’ but when you’re anxious it’s much more helpful to lean back. You don’t have to do a back bend, just think of settling yourself in your spine. Feel your shoulder blades going down, your chest expanding and your mind chatter stilling.
Play your favourite calming music
Birdsong, whale music, Bruce Springsteen or Mozart – whatever floats your boat. In my case, it’s Hildegard of Bingen or Bach cello concertos. BBC Sounds, Spotify and other websites have curated music for different moods so have a forage.
Do something you find soothing
Ironing does it for me but I prefer nice flat things, preferably squares – hankies, napkins, pillow cases at a pinch – but friends like turning out sock drawers or rearranging the cupboard under the sink. It gives a calming feeling of being in control. And if it’s the morning, make your bed! I loved the book called just that with the sub title: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps. Yes, please.
PS I was all of a doodah when I started writing this because a difficult and rather stressful meeting had left me running late. Just writing this all down has made me feel quite calm… It works.
