Doesn’t is seem like everybody has been stressed out or on edge lately? Between the ongoing restrictions and a super contentious election in the U.S., I’m getting frequent reports from patients, friends and colleagues of arguments and people snapping over little things. Myself included from time to time.
Almost everyone is on pins and needles.
Fact is, there is a pandemic within the pandemic. As a culture, we’ve had a mental health, drug, and alcohol addiction epidemic well before COVID hit. Yet, in June, alcohol sales were up 250%, and mental health hotline calls up 800%. If more of us were willing to talk about it, we’d probably discover that almost every single one of us knows someone who is struggling badly right now.
Couple of things:
From both a cognitive and behavioral standpoint, keeping your anxiety at bay has much to do with focusing on what you can control while blocking out anything you can’t control. Read that again, it’s a biggie. A friend and Toronto personal trainer, Conor Kelly, offers this little tip:
“Lately I’ve been telling my clients, treat your workouts like your meditation time. This helps you because exercising is something you can control. Turn off your phone. Don’t play CNN or any other news channel in the background! Instead, pay attention to what you’re feeling in your body. Focus on your breathing. Remind yourself how good it feels to be alive, and be thankful. Feel the enhanced breathing and circulation and how exercise enlivens your body. This can be done while lifting weights, running, whatever. And it’s an overlooked way to ‘get out of your head’ and fall back into the moment – which is a big key to relieving anxiety.”
I recommend you give this ‘moving meditation’ a try.
Especially if you’re not the sit-still type. 😊
Exercise has already been shown in many studies to be more effective than medication at treating mild or moderate cases of anxiety and depression. It’s not hard to see how adding the mindfulness tip above could amplify its beneficial mood effects. Talking to a professional can also help.
If your budget prohibits you seeing a therapist, one Toronto psychologist I know recommends The Mindful Way Workbook by Teasdale and Williams. It’s billed as a 9-Week Program to Free Yourself from Depression and Emotional Distress. I know at least one person who suffered anxiety problems that called this a “game-changer”.
Finally, you might find this interesting:
A recent study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research describes a 19-year old female diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) who suffered from symptoms of anxiety for two years.
After four months of chiropractic care, the young woman reported an 80% reduction in her anxiety symptoms, including a 90% decrease in her headaches. She was able to resume a normal lifestyle without turning to prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Her previous medical treatment included multiple emergency room visits; private specialists; and a rotation of drug therapies including Paxil, Xanax, and Celexa — all of which failed to manage her symptoms.
As mentioned above, drugs often are NOT the answer.
Bottom line: If you are struggling for any reason, you don’t have to go through it alone. I’m here to help.
Also, please forward this to any friend or family member who you think could benefit. Anyone seeking better health and improved stress control (and less anxiety) can book an assessment with me simply by calling the clinic at (416) 967-4466. Phrases like “we’re all in this together” get tossed around quite a bit these days. But the truth is a lot of people feel more isolated than ever. Let’s try to keep that in mind and give each other – and any grouchy people – a wider berth than normal. Don’t forget, this includes being patient with yourself too.
Until next time…take care of yourself.
Dr. Josh
===
“Working with Josh has been imperative to regaining balance in my body and consequently in my life. It’s an absolute must especially for anyone who is suffering from any back, neck or hip pain.” – Sunil P.
