Mindset coaching for anxiety: Whether it’s panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, gut problems, or physical aches and pains, anxiety can show up in a lot of very frightening ways. It can affect the way that a person behaves socially and personally and is often accompanied by a strong feeling of panic, overwhelm, hopelessness and distress. This is when everyday life can feel like a struggle.
What is anxiety?
The NHS website describes anxiety as a ‘feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe.’ It’s a perfectly normal and natural response for all of us at certain points in life. Being worried or nervous about a test result or a job interview for example.
It turns into a problem when these worries become hard to control. The anxiety becomes more constant and can affect your everyday life. When it becomes this generalised, it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause, and as soon as one situation or issue passes, another one appears to be equally anxious about it.
Can coaching help deal with anxiety?
Coaching can help with anxiety. How? By using techniques and methods to help you identify triggers, solve problems and take action towards processing and problem solving difficult emotions. Working on your mindset clears limiting beliefs, changes negative thinking patterns and lowers stress. This all has a positive impact on your overall wellbeing.
How can coaching help with anxiety?
Coaching is solution-focused. Although we delve into the limiting beliefs and where they might have come from as causes of anxiety, we don’t dwell on them. Once you become aware of those mental blocks and triggers, we work on clearing them, with a focus on a positive future built around goals you want to achieve.
Our beliefs and behaviours are often set in childhood and our experiences thereafter ‘confirm’ those beliefs. Looking into those beliefs and challenging or becoming more understanding of them can truly change your life.
That might feel hard to believe if you’re one of the more than 8 million people in the UK suffering from anxiety right now, especially if your anxiety is deep-rooted, but the good news is that we can change our thought processes and behaviours and create new pathways in the brain. Your default does not have to be the anxious version of you. Freedom is possible.
Ways that coaching can help tackle anxiety
- Set goals you want, for the life you truly desire
- Identify limiting beliefs, blocks and challenges as well as opportunities
- Receive motivation from your coach to help you stay on track
- Help you to break free of the things that have been holding you back
- Focus on a positive future, not the past
- Obtain insightful perspectives on your behaviours
- Define your purpose in life
- Receive professional guidance and support
- Encouragement to take action
- Increase confidence and resilience
3 simples tools you can use to reduce your anxiety today
When panic strikes, it can be difficult to think clearly in the moment. Here are 3 ways to help calm your nervous system quickly.
- Breathe
Yes, it sounds simplistic and obvious, but when you’re in a state of panic or stress, your breathing and posture will take a back seat. Rapid breathing and tight muscles can make breathing shallow and increase the feelings of anxiety and tension.
Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Breath in for a count of 4. Hold for 7 and then exhale through the mouth for 8. This is known as ‘relaxing breath’ and there is a lot of research around it that suggests it can relax you quickly and deeply, even helping some people to fall asleep within 1 minute! Not only is it good in times of panic, but you can try it as a nightly exercise to help you fall into a restful slumber.
- Smell
A soothing scent can help relieve panic by tapping into the senses and keeping you grounded. If you’ve ever had a professional massage, you’ll know how important the scented oils are and this is because aromatherapy has a lot of scientific back research that shows certain smells can help promote relaxation and reduce anxiety.
Lavender, rose, bergamot orange and chamomile all have soothing properties that can help balance emotions and promote relaxation. You can purchase blends in small bottles that you can rub on your pulse points – the neck, wrists and temples.
- Create a diversion
For some people, deep breathing or slowing down can actually make things worse. If that’s you, then what you might need is a temporary distraction. Something that takes your focus off the physical sensations and diverts your attention elsewhere. This gives your nervous system a break and a chance to calm itself.
You could try going for a walk, doing a puzzle or splashing your face with cold water. Once your distraction is elsewhere, the emotion and discomfort will ease and then you can try relaxation techniques or other methods elsewhere in your day to help bring your overall stress level down.
Long-lasting anxiety relief
If any of this resonates with you and you’re looking for long-lasting relief from anxiety, then coaching might be the right path for you. Get in touch for a no-obligation discovery call.
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