What’s the difference between stress and anxiety and when is it a problem?
Stress is the normal response our bodies have to any change. It can be positive or negative. It can help us rise to meet challenges. It is what keeps us on our toes, prevents us from making costly mistakes and sharpens our concentration. However, too much stress or experiencing stress over extended periods of time can leave us feeling frazzled, overloaded, exhausted, unappreciated, agitated or over-reactive.
When you experience anxiety and worry, your protector, the amygdala, takes over and directs you towards all kinds of fight or flight driven actions. While these actions may be helpful, even critical to survival, in times of real danger, they are unhelpful in response to a perceived threat or a worry thought. When you respond to a perceived threat as though it were real, you may find yourself engaging in ‘safety behaviours’.
While you may hear the terms ‘panic attack’ and ‘anxiety attack’ used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. They do share a number of the same symptoms, particularly physical ones such as shortness of breath or a racing heartbeat, but they also differ and psychologists and mental health professionals use these terms for specific conditions.
As the effects of global warming are becoming more apparent in the face of disastrous impacts such as bushfires and floods, we are increasingly aware of the consequences of climate change. For many, this has contributed to or even caused anxiety, particularly in younger people. Here are some steps you can take to help kids and teens cope with climate anxiety and channel their worries into positive actions.
With anxiety at epidemic proportions, there’s a critical need to help people to shift from worry, stress and fear to resilient and effective action. It is my heart-driven mission to help people to feel empowered to alleviate anxiety and build mind strength. But when we talk about anxiety, what exactly do we mean?
This year has been like no other, so if you’re feeling exhausted, stressed or anxious, you are not the only one. A lot of people find this time of year stressful and holiday stress can affect anyone, including children. This time of year, we often focus on others by giving gifts, hosting dinners and sending cards. However, it’s also important to find time for yourself and schedule in some time for self-care.
