Anxiety, Depression and Stress
HOW TO SURVIVE THE DAY?
There are a million things to do in any given day and only 24 hours in which to do them.
It’s a recipe for disaster.
You have a fantasy of, just once, completing your “to do” list without feeling frazzled or just plain finishing the awful thing. You play multiple roles in life and everyone wants your attention. “Mom!” they scream. “Honey!” She says from the other room. “I need this done now” seems to be on repeat from your boss. You’d set priorities but EVERYTHING is priority.
This is daily life.
Perhaps it’s gotten to be too much.
You don’t have the energy to connect with your spouse or children.
You’re short tempered.
You’re sleepless. You’re so exhausted and you feel like you can’t keep running in a million directions.
Overall, you always feel behind and it just feels like you’re forgetting something. There’s a deadline hanging over your head. Always.
It goes by many names. Depression, Anxiety, Nervousness, Stress….!
THE IMPACT
It can really take over your life.
Not to mention it’s a legitimate health hazard.
Depression, Anxiety and Stress can affect your muscles, respiratory system, heart, and hormones! It can release hormones that wreak havoc on sleep, weight, mood, and any of your other body systems. It is all interrelated.
We work together to educate you on what it does to your body and, most importantly for us, how to understand, slow down, change and/or alter the impact.
It means that you and I can work together to help you prioritize and learn new skills that will assist you in more effectively handling these issues.
We can also work together to address any underlying problems.
What Do Overstressed, Depressed And Anxious People Have In Common?
-They often have physical health issues. They may experience muscle tension or pain. Many have appetite or bowel problems. Sleeplessness is common due to worry, an inability to calm down, or pulling all-nighters to finish tasks. Binge eating, sugar addiction, obesity, heart problems, joint pain, and even memory loss have all been linked to stress!
– Many of them struggle at work. They have a long to do list and often feel as if they are working incredibly hard and getting nothing done at the same time. Often, that behavior leads to feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, or even fear of getting fired at work. Many feel overworked and under recognized. Superiors may pass over them for promotion or recognition.
-They have unclear boundaries or trouble saying “no.” Often, well meaning people with good intentions are also “yes men” or “people pleasers.” This can come from a place of fear or low self-worth. In being unable to say no and teach others how to treat them, they accidentally set themselves up for more stress! Supervisors get irritated at missed deadlines, family members get frustrated at broken promises, and relationships are strained.
-Their relationships suffer. It may be that they don’t have enough time to have a social life. Perhaps work is taking over and they’re not connecting with their spouse and children. Relationships with non-local friends and relatives suffer when there isn’t time for a phone call. Or, perhaps it’s gotten so bad that you now have a reputation for venting when you get on the phone and everyone’s avoiding you. Emotional and sexual intimacy can also really take a turn for the worse. Our culture underestimates the importance of social support. The lack of social support can foster feelings of resentment, isolation, and depression.
WHAT CAN I DO?
This leads me to what we do about it: get you some skills to deal with it!
What kind of skills?
It really depends on what’s going on. It may be assisting you in being comfortable setting boundaries and saying no without feeling guilty.
It may be working on your self-worth and the way you talk to yourself.
It may be putting old wounds to rest.
It may be reframing what you’re saying to yourself about the situation and your capability to effectively handle it.
Whatever the case may be we can work together to make a plan that is tailor made for you, your emotional well-being, and your specific personal history.
This sounds too simple you think.
Well, yes and no.
In teaching you new skills, the challenge comes in practical application.
It will take practice and work but you can definitely improve!
As you learn new coping techniques things come into focus.
As we do our work, ideally you’ll see improvements in how you feel mentally and physically, changes in work quality, and have more energy for the things that are important to you, and many people even notice that their relationships are richer and more peaceful.
Whether it’s improving your time management skills and promoting self-care, or learning skills to better handle negative thoughts and emotions, I can certainly help you find your balance.