Healthy Lifestyle

Here are 8 practical keys to help you escape from the anxiety trap and find freedom.

Our world has been hijacked in a surging tsunami of uncertainty, with COVID-19 and social distancing. You may be a health worker, stressed and stretched beyond the limit. Perhaps you have financial and job worries.

News articles acknowledge that anxiety is on the rise. This emotion is important for our survival, but when it takes over our everyday life, we need to take action. When we’re anxious, the three main stress hormones adrenaline, cortisol and noepinephrin are released in our brains, and these can damage our organs and bodies.

We can learn strategies to change our mindset.

But first, how do you know if your symptoms are stress and anxiety?

Here are some indications:

• Taking addictive substances or addictive behaviours
• Constant fear or worry
• Nervousness
• Sleep problems
• Eating disorders
• Problems coping with life
• Restlessness

I have 8 keys to offer you in your escape from the anxiety trap. These keys can help you restore calm and relief. Let’s turn that anxiety into something better:

P.L.E.A.S.U.R.E.

Try as many of them as you can. Take the time to form these into regular habits. It will be worth it.

• Positivity
• Laughter
• Exercise
• Acknowledgement
• Schedule
• Unwind
• Reach out
• Eating

Positivity:

Negative thoughts turn to negative feelings. Positive thoughts result in positive feelings.

• Read affirmations.
• Practice gratitude. It refocuses our energy and brings calm and happy feelings. When I wake in the morning, I mindfully turn my thoughts to things I’m thankful for.

• Send a message of thanks to someone.

• Remember, there’s always someone worse off, and be grateful for the positives in your life.
• Look out for good things as they happen during the day and acknowledge them.

Laughter:

Laughter really is an effective remedy for anxiety. Studies show that healthy laughter has a powerful effect on our mental health and immune system. It doesn’t require medication, and releases the feel-good endorphins. Laughter decreases serum levels of cortisol, helping to reverse the stress response.¹

How do we laugh more?

• Spend time with positive-minded friends who make you laugh.
• Look for TV comedies or funny YouTube clips. When my father was feeling down, we watched ‘Fawlty Towers’ episodes together.

Here are some YouTube clips to try:

Funniest Dogs and Cats:

Funny Pets:

Exercise:

Exercise is an all-important and proven method for combating anxiety. It releases feel-good endorphins in the brain giving a feeling of euphoria and well-being.

Here are some suggestions:

‘Gentle Pilates For Stress Relief: 25 Minutes To Be Gentle With Yourself.’ Lottie Murphy Pilates.

What if you are older, need less strenuous exercises, or are chairbound? HASFIT offers some great YouTube videos you can follow:

Acknowledge:

Acknowledge the anxiety. Write down the “what, when, where and why” of the anxiety. Is it real or imagined? Then write ideas of what you can do to combat the feelings. This may take some reflection time, even help from a trusted friend.

Acknowledge the negative emotions. Write the list and strategies then make the effort to continue in a positive frame of mind. Aim to reach your goals.

“If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” Mary Engelbreit.

If you are finding your feelings are out of control or are lying in bed and wallowing in misery, refer to the ‘Reach Out’ section of this blog post. You may need help from a medical professional.

Schedule:

When we are in the throes of anxiety, create a distraction and make a plan you can look forward to. This will stimulate the feel-good neurochemicals in your brain, such as dopamine and endorphins.

Here are some ideas that could put you in a more positive frame of mind. Think about what gives you pleasure. I’m not suggesting you take a drug or overindulge in alcohol.

• Browse books in the library or borrow one online or read that book you’ve been saving in a genre or topic that you enjoy.
• Organise a movie night at home or out and watch a new or favourite movie with a friend with popcorn.
• Indulge a candlelit bath with aromatherapy oil and sip your favourite beverage.
• Book a session with the hairdresser
• Get a massage or pedicure.
• If you are able, plan a short break away in the mountains or at the beach. The date could be months away, but it is something to focus on and look forward to. Anticipation releases dopamine in the brain.

There is a caveat for those who are carers or who have small children — taking time out may be an impossibility. But you need a break! You may need to plan for help with your time-out.

Unwind:

Here are some strategies that you can follow without appointments or schedules.

• A few minutes of body stretching does wonders for instant relaxation. See ‘Easy Exercises for Depression and Anxiety’, with Scott.

• When anxiety strikes, do breathing exercises. Find a comfortable place to sit, close your eyes, and breathe in slowly for the count of three and breathe out for the count of four for two minutes. This will allow the parasympathetic nervous system to take over and help you relax.
• A popular strategy some people use is ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response), which is a calming sensation that begins on the scalp and tingles down the back of the neck in response to particular sounds such as whispering and hair brushing.
• Take a walk outside. If you are in the city, find a park or drive to a reserve or river.

• Take a break for a few minutes each day. If you are stressed and anxious, organise to be alone at least 5 minutes to recharge and replenish.

Reach out:

Reaching out to others can give emotional support and strength to carry on and help us process our feelings. It can be tempting to suffer in silence. A shared burden is always lighter and communicating our fears can bring solutions and strategies.

• Call a close friend or family member and chat about your fears.

• If you have a friend who is also struggling with anxiety, why don’t you arrange to call one another when you need extra support?
•  If you don’t have a friend to call, research until you find a group you can meet with in person or virtually.

Eating:

• Eat regular meals. Hunger can make us stressed and cranky.
• A mood-boosting diet comprises healthy, unprocessed foods. See my Healthy Eating Tips and Worksheet: https://towardsrecovery.com.au/freebies/
• Magnesium has a calming effect.
• Omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics help ensure good gut health, which results in the release of feel-good neurochemicals in your brain.
• Scientist are still investigating the effects of tea and green tea on the mood, but the amino acid L-theanine in green tea is believed to help ward off depression. Researchers have reported that in a healthy Korean population, those who habitually drank green tea were 21% less likely to develop depression over their lifetime than those who were non-drinkers².
• It’s tempting to reach for a sweet snack when an emotional low hits because eating sugar releases dopamine and will give a surge of energy, but remember the high will be followed by an unhappy low later on.

• Many studies have shown that diets high in sugar can cause chemical imbalances in the brain, and these can contribute to depression. So cut down on sugary snacks and soft drinks.

If you have tried all these suggestions and are still feeling trapped and cannot function normally, you may need further help. Get advice from a medical professional. Don’t delay!

Further information: Subscribe to my no cost monthly newsletter, blog posts and extra freebies. towardsrecovery.com.au/

***

¹ Yim J. Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2016 Jul; 239 (3):243-9. doi: 10.1620/tjem.239.243. PMID: 27439375.

² Nature 566, S8-S9 (2019) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-00398-1

Habits are part of life but they can cause us or the people around us harm. Here are some common habits many people struggle with:

• Smoking
• Chewing on fingernails
• Bingeing on Netflix
• Eating too much fast food
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Compulsive on-line shopping (I can relate to this one- my weakness is Bookbub)
• Not getting enough sleep
• Constant swearing

Get medical advice and supervision if you are stopping a more serious substance abuse addiction to safely withdraw from the substance.

What is a Habit?

It’s a set behaviour that follows a cycle that we subconsciously carry out. It involves a trigger and reward. The brain hardwires everything we repeatedly do.

What makes us perform the habit?

It can occur after a particular trigger, it could be a time or place or a reaction to an emotional swing. We get a positive feeling from the behaviour due to the release of feel-good neurochemicals in our brains.

How do we stop the habit?

It’s important to take note of what the triggers and rewards are so we can replace the negative habit with a good habit and new rewards. Use distraction when you get the triggers.

Changing your environment and creating a diversion, such as going for a walk, will help. It may help to eat a healthy snack. You could have your favourite hot drink, spend time with your pet, or call a friend. If it’s seriously impacting your life, call your local help organisation. See my post ‘Curbing Cravings during COVID 19’ for some strategies: https://towardsrecovery.com.au/curb-the-cravings-during-covid-19/

How long does it take to stop a habit?

It may take a month, or it may take 30 weeks. It’s important to celebrate every time you succeed in stopping that urge to carry it out. Having a friend to keep you motivated and accountable would be a huge boost to your goals.

Here are some examples you can use to model your positive thinking:

– I can cut down on my drinking and it would save money, even my life.

– I can stop eating those fatty snacks. I’ll lose kilos, fit into that new outfit or jeans I bought, and look amazing.

– I’ll keep a pair of nail clippers in my pocket and use those instead of biting my nails. My partner will be proud of me and my fingers will no longer have that chewed-to-the-quick look.

In the following video ‘How to Change Bad Habits and Create New Ones’, from Smart by Design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc6rvFWVwdc there is a clear explanation about the neurochemicals behind the craving and pleasure of indulging in those formed habits. It is possible to insert a new routine with a new reward for a period of time. It also explains the importance of support from other people in changing the habit.

You can read more about this topic in ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg, https://www.amazon.com.au/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160X

Breaking Bad Habits Worksheets

Click on the link https://towardsrecovery.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Breaking-Bad-Habits-Worksheet.pdf to download the motivation worksheet to help combat your habit or help a family member. This sheet can be a visual reminder which will add power to the goal of your improvement towards a better life. Print it and put it prominent place such as your noticeboard or fridge. It includes a weekly progress sheet. Here is an example of the information you need to fill in the sheet:

• Description of Habit
• Why I want to break it and the benefits of breaking it
• Obstacles to face while trying to break this habit
• Obstacles to overcome
• Triggers that set off the bad habit & how to avoid them.
• An alternative good habit to put in its place
• People and tools to help

Further information:

Subscribe to my no cost monthly newsletter and blog posts to get my Live a Better Life with 25 Affirmations free (https://towardsrecovery.com.au/).

My future blog posts will cover other habits like addictions to smoking, alcohol and other substances and will give further help and support .

If you are trying to change a bad habit to a good habit I wish you great success!

I remember the days of local area network (LAN) parties, when my sons would wire up our rumpus room like a tech lab, with as many computers as they could find. They would invite like-minded friends, have good supply of chips and popcorn, and play computer games all night! Little did we know that there would be such a thing as computer addiction! Little did I expect my school students to complain of a computer or gaming addiction, and confess they were powerless to stop it.

Digital addiction, social media addiction, gaming addiction, internet compulsions and ‘Digital Cocaine’? What are these? Are they serious disorders? We have enough evidence to know technology addiction does exist, and it needs to be addressed. The negative consequences of the addiction can be far-reaching and devastating.

But there are so many positives about screentime as well:
Using technology to educate, such as watching a video, doing a tutorial or researching on the internet is invaluable for the workplace, teachers and students. Our phones keep us connected, keep our calendars up-to-date, check our physical fitness—the list is endless.

Social media and chat rooms such as Zoom which is a global video meeting for up to 1,000 participants: https://zoom.us/ provide us with continual connection and entertainment. Those with depression, ADHD, autism and anxiety can find technology helpful in improving self-esteem, for company and enjoyment. (However the time they spend on the device should still be monitored for excessive use).

What are some technology related addictions?

Did you know that technology devices have been likened to slot machines?
There are various internet addictions such as cybersex addiction, computer and gaming addiction, online relationship addiction and compulsive information seeking.
Dr G F Greenfield, Doctor in Psychology, from the Institute for Internet & Technology Addiction in West Hartford, Connecticut, states that the devices we use can be likened to slot machines. Our devices can give rewards in the form of information, messages or content in intermittent and unpredictable ways. When you get a reward, such as a notification, the neurochemical dopamine is released in the brain. The surprising fact is that the level of dopamine from the anticipated reward is twice as high as the actual reward. This can be habit-forming and become an addiction.

In this post we will start with a questionnaire to help to keep you be informed about the issue. Also:
What are some technology-related addictions?
How can they affect our lives?
What can we do about it?

Questionnaire:

How can you tell if someone has technology addiction?
Does the individual display:

• Loss of interest in any of the following due to technology use:
  • social contact
  • exercise
  • work
  • hobbies
• Depression, moodiness and irritabilty after spending time on a device?
• Large amounts of time spent regularly, (more than two and a half hours), alone on the device?
• Defensiveness if someone confronts them with their behaviour with the device?
• Do they prefer the device, to being in the company of other people?
• Is their education or employment suffering due to the amount of time spent on the internet/device?
• Are they obsessed with the world they’ve created around the device/activities?

If YES was answered to any of the above questions, seek help.

Some strategies that may alleviate the above symptoms:

• Create boundaries around the amount of time they use the device.
• Turn off as many notifications as possible. Notifications activate dopamine into the reward pathways in our brains.
• Screen time before bed can change ciradium rhythm which is the internal process that regulates our sleep-wake cycle, and disturbs normal sleep patterns.
• Try to limit screen time to two hours a day.
• Ban the phone at the dinner table and restaurants—unless taking photos of the occasion!
• Having a phone nearby increases stress levels. Checking and viewing the screens on phones more often than needed, may be the result of trying to reduce the stress level.
• Find diversions and other ways to spend time, release your emotions, physical exercise, meditation.
• Parents: model the behaviour that you want your child to have. If you demonstrate poor habits with technology—they will think it’s OK for them!

You can install apps to help your child/teen to help monitor the amount of time they are spending on their device. Because you can use the boundaries and app calculations it makes the app the messenger and not you—which can help defuse anger. Some recommended apps are: FamiSafe, Screen Time Parental Control, Zift and Qustodio Parental Control. Check out what they offer first.

Some consequences of too much screen time:

• Physical health decline: eyesight problems, back and posture problems, overuse injuries, (such as ganglia of the wrist), weight loss or gain and premature aging.
• Reduced academic performance.
• Detrimental effects on, or loss of employment.
• Family strain and breakdown
• Lack of social interaction, relationships and friends. Normal social bonding may be replaced with shallow friendships.
• Lack of sleep and/or poor sleep quality.
• Serious depression

Wrap-up:

The dilemma of technology addiction is a relatively new phenomena and health professionals believe that it needs further research. However it is clear the addiction can interfere with everyday life, work, education and relationships, once the behaviour becomes compulsive.
Reference: www.drdavidgreenfield.com

Watch the HouseSmarts KidSmarts Tech Addiction Epidemic video for more information:
https://virtual-addiction.com/

We are all affected in various degrees. Many of us are complaining of unusual tiredness and weight gain. Many are at home or in quarantine, isolated and sedentary. Maybe sitting for hours either at our computers, or lounging on the sofa binging on Netflix and unhealthy food.

We may be drinking more alcohol, seeking escape with technology to the detriment of the family or our employment, and taking more medication and various drugs to dull the pain. We may be too tired or depressed to exercise.

What can we do to avoid the downward spiral? Here are a few strategies to try.

• Change the activity or what you are viewing that is causing you to crave—until the feeling eases.
• Remind yourself of all the good things that have happened in the past week. What are you thankful for so far today?
• Understand that cravings come in waves. Acknowledge this, then ride the surge knowing that it will pass.
• Take deep breaths and think positive. You can self-talk negative thoughts or positive thoughts. Choose the positive.
• Exercise or take a walk. A study from Nippon Medical School in Tokyo claims that walking in nature reduces anxiety and depression, improves immunity and memory, speeds recovery from illness, increases energy and improves performance. Check with your health professional about the degree of exercise that is most suitable for you, and if you are in lockdown—stay put for the moment!
• Write a pros and cons sheet about your cravings. Be honest! When you see the cons you’ll want to change! Include a slimmer and healthier photo of you. Put them in a prominent place and look at them often.
• Call a supportive member of your family, friend or health professional.
• Start planning a new hobby or passion. What have you always wanted to do? Take the first step.
• Get enough sleep if you aren’t already. (I will have strategies for sleeplessness in later blogs.)

Healthy versus unhealthy food (see Freebies section for extra resources)

• Are you eating because of an emotional craving or because you are genuinely hungry.
• Don’t skip or delay meals. It may trigger overeating for the next.
• If you’re still craving food after a meal, wait twenty minutes for your food to start to digest and signal to your brain that you’ve eaten. However a low calorie meal may not take away the hunger pains.
• Protein reduces your appetite and keeps you satisfied longer. Good protein foods and snacks include: seeds, nuts, cheese, milk drinks, eggs, foods containing quinoa, and meats.
• If you fill up on natural, unprocessed, low sugar and low GI foods, your cravings for the fast, unhealthy options will lessen.
  Tip: pile a serving of mixed salad leaves with your lunch. You can buy this at some supermarkets already washed. All you need is a dressing of virgin olive oil and seasoning, if you are in a hurry. If you take your lunch to work and there’s a fridge, store a whole bag of salad for the next few days.
• Brush your teeth. The minty flavor may be enough to take your mind off eating.
• Drink enough water.
• B vitamins can improve your mood and lack of these vitamins can affect your mood. You can find this vitamin in wholegrains, meats, fruits and dark leafy vegetables.
• Craving that extra piece of chocolate cake or another packet of salty snacks? Don’t we all? Try a healthier option or have a hot drink – like tea, herbal tea or coffee. I know coffee can be addictive and needs to be controlled, but it can help reduce the appetite.

Watch out for my post on sugar cravings later in the year. Don’t forget to subscribe to my monthly newsletter.

Disclaimer – Please note: This article is not for sufferers of serious drug addictions. Later posts will cover this issue. Remember to ask your health professional for more advice.

• Bowen, S. & Marlatt, A. (2009). Surfing the urge: brief mindfulness intervention for college student smokers. Psychology of Addictive Behavior, 23(4):666-71.
• Stressed out? Bathing in the woods is just what the doctor ordered