The dictionary defines anxiety as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome”.

In my experience, though, it’s harder to deal with anxiety that can’t be pinned down to something specific, than anxiety over a defined task which can be addressed head-on.

As we all suffer from this at times, and it seems to be more prevalent these days, I spent some time identifying solutions to help:

·        Is your feeling of anxiety a symptom of physical ill-health? It can be a bodily reaction to stress, or a sign that you need to visit the doctor. If so, now is a good time to implement a few simple, destress solutions.

·        Solutions can be found if we know what the problem is, so write down all the worries in your mind. Tangible problems can be dealt with and writing them down helps to identify which one on the list is causing the anxiety.

·        Check yourself for that uncomfortable imposter syndrome – the feeling of being out of place in your own success. Pretending on the outside to be something we are not on the inside is anxiety-inducing and our maximum power is released when we settle into our true selves.

A mantra that I recommend (and use) is “I am me, and that is all I need to be.”

If we can learn to view anxiety as a useful kind of “alert notification” reminding us that we are out of balance (a bit like the low petrol warning light in your car), we can teach ourselves to break the cycle more quickly and regain a healthy relationship with life.

If you still struggle, and feel unable to break free, take a moment to pick up the phone and reach out for help – from a friend, a mentor or a counsellor.

Sending love and wishing you a week of calm and growing self-confidence.

With kind regards,

Catherine