Top tips for coping with anxiety

As a clinical hypnotherapist, I work a lot with anxiety and panic disorders. I am acutely aware of how our complex brains can go into overdrive during times of crisis - the inner fight or flight system is designed to get us out of danger, and fast. It is not so useful when we are dealing with an insidious invisible threat, such as Coronavirus. Fight or flight has no intellectual capacity; it is purely responsive. Many people whose fight or flight button is activated will lose intellectual control and respond in ways that are not necessarily helpful. One such reaction is to stockpile food. The problem with this is that if we all do it, supermarkets will struggle and the food supply chain becomes strained. This means that many vulnerable people might not be able to easily access the groceries they need. I am releasing a series of videos with handy tips to maintain a sense of calm in a crisis situation. If we are able to calm our primitive fight or flight response, we will respond more appropriately and make better decisions. In this video, I talk a bit about our need to control. We are more likely to feel anxious when we feel out of control - especially about the future. The two main tips here include how to bring your attention onto something very simple, such as the breath. And to focus only on the day ahead. When our brains feel more in control, our nervous systems get a signal that it's ok. We are ok.