According to The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in South Africa. One in five South Africans is affected by anxiety disorders each year. An Bakkes is no stranger to feeling anxious. She has been diagnosed with cancer twice, and through her recovery developed a model to help people cope with anxiety.
According to An, her model enables people to interact with their anxiety and fear from a personal, professional and parental point of view, and change their perspective in a way that is practical and can be applied in their daily lives.
Here are a few tips on how to identify and cope with anxiety, taken from her book, Embracing Anxiety, Coming Back with Hope:
How do I know if I’m suffering from an anxiety disorder?
No-one experiences anxiety the same way, and different things cause anxiety for different people. There are two common causes of anxiety – uncertainty and complexity. When our lives are governed by anxiety it becomes limiting and our quality of decision-making reduces.
You need to be concerned if you feel anxious, worried and have constant worrying thoughts for more than 70% of your day for an extended period of time.
Symptoms of anxiety
Cognitive symptoms
- Memory problems
- Inability to concentrate
- Poor spatial judgment
- Seeing only the negative
- Constant worrying
Emotional symptoms
- Moodiness
- Irritability or short temper
- Agitation, inability to relax and feeling overwhelmed
- A sense of loneliness and isolation
- Depression or general unhappiness
Physical symptoms
- Aches and pains – whatever aches and pains we have, stress, anxiety and fear enhance the ailment and it is amplified
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Nausea, dizziness
- Chest pains, rapid heartbeat
- A low sex drive
- Frequent colds
Behavioural symptoms
- Eating too much, not eating enough
- Sleeping too much, not sleeping enough
- Isolating yourself from others
- Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
- Using alcohol, cigarettes or drugs to relax
- Increased nervous habits like nail biting, pacing, drumming fingers on tables, tapping feet
How to cope with anxiety
1. Identify anxiety triggers at work
One of the ways to cope with anxiety at work is to find out what triggers it. Whether it’s pressure, company culture, the pace of work, work ethic or anything else, once you know the cause you can start putting practical plans in place to deal with it.
2. Stay active
Staying active means getting some ‘happy’ endorphins to help fight that anxious feeling. Do a 30-minute workout two to three times a week. Not enough hours in the day? Try to combine your exercise with another activity like doing a few sets of sit-ups while watching your favourite TV show.
3. Count your blessings
Consciously do things that make you happy and practise being grateful every day, no matter how small the blessing.
4. Keep a schedule
Simplify and plan your life as much as possible. Keep a weekly schedule with everything you have to do. This helps you to cope with unexpected activities.
5. Stay positive
Anxiety does not own you. Try to make choices from a place of hope as much as you can.
PHOTO: iStock/elenaleonova
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