Chronic anxiety is when the nervous system is ‘stuck’ or sensitised into a fight/flight/ freeze state. This can occur due to trauma, over work, excessive stimulation, chronic pain, surgery or chronic worrying. For some people, their nervous system becomes hyper sensitive and is quicker to enter the “fight/ Flight/ Freeze” than for others. This can be genetic and/ or or stem from early childhood experiences..

 

Whilst psychological therapy is extremely beneficial for learning about your individual nervous system and how to calm it down., physical interventions are also very powerful.  Here are some recommendations

 

1. Completely stop all drinks and foods with caffeine (coffee, coke, dark chocolate, green tea etc.)
2. Learn to sleep well by following sleep hygiene rules
3. Take time out each day to calm the nervous system – lying down quietly, even at least 5 – 10 minutes
4. Using a weighted eye bag has been shown to calm down a racing mind
5. Whilst walking around the house, wearing a heated weighted shoulder/ neck pillow as it too calms the nervous system
6. If possible, undertaking 30 minutes of exercise 4 times a week that exerts the lungs and heart (running, up hill walking, cycling, lifting weights) so you feel breathless. This ‘burns off’ stress hormones.

These are positions that you lie in , for extended periods of time. The positions change the blood flow in our body and are known to calm the nervous system and activate the rest and relaxation response. These can be undertaken each day, for 5 – 10 minutes.

 

Restorative positions have been identified to activate the calming part of the nervous system. They also increase blood blow to areas of tension and allow fresh oxygen to circulate deep within problematic areas of the body for example, neck and back for migraines, stomach and gut for Crohn’s disease, ovaries for fertility/menstruation.

 

• Use different cushions to support your body during the positions
• Use a weighted eye bag to calm a busy mind
• Try wearing headphones and listening to a meditation ap

There are an abundance of incredible calming aps that can be listened to during your 10 mins restorative yoga break, or before bedtime, or when you first arrive from from work and are taking 10 minute out before your evening starts.

 

Here are some examples:

 

• Breathing Zone – Used in the NHS with trauma patients
• Paced Breathing – sets breathing to a slow, regulated level which increases the relaxation response
• Andrew Johnson – Relax lite (hypnotherapist – this ap is free).
• Andrew Johnson – Deep Relaxation/ Deep sleep
• Relax Melodies – They have relaxing sounds that can be mixed together, plus a guided meditation

 

During your therapy sessions we can talk more in depth about what strategies are most suitable for you to find calmness, how to do them and how often.

How does it work?

Eye movements, similar to those during REM sleep, will be recreated by asking you to watch the therapist’s finger moving backwards and forwards across your visual field, while you recall the painful memory. This utilises the bodies natural ability to process painful memories, mimicking the natural healing process of REM sleep. This approach can also be used with tappers or sound, to achieve a bilateral stimulation.

 

There is also more information to be found at the UK and Ireland EMDR Association https://emdrassociation.org.uk/.

 

Please watch the below video for more information. It has been produced by the Europe EMDR Association.