Covid Anxiety
The beliefs programme is unbelievably powerful in teaching you NOT TO CREATE UNNECESSARY ANXIETY OR STRESS. Learning to manage your thinking and creating a strong healthy mind even through these unpredictable times is a gamechanger.
Health Anxiety
In our current society, people are increasingly experiencing too much stress, or what could be called ‘negative’ stress. This is the type of stress that can make you feel overwhelmed and jittery. Stress is a well-known trigger for depression and it can also affect your physical health and digestion
I used to have IBS because of the amount of stress I had (although I never actually knew I was that stressed as we normalise the feeling).I constantly worried about not being near a toilet which caused me even more stress. Often feeling embarrassed worrying about diarrhea, wind and a bad stomach I spent many occasions trawling through health shops trying anything to help but to no avail. In desperation I paid to have a colonoscopy but the results were negative. It was about this time I went through therapy and training and like a magic wand once I learned to stop creating stress in my world – the IBS disappeared. I have never suffered from it since.
There are a limitless number of triggers for stress, however the following are generally accepted as being in the top dozen: any sort of loss, from bereavement, divorce and separation to a child leaving home; long-term illness and disability; marriage; moving house; a new job; holidays and work.
The symptoms of negative stress are well known to us, and include:
● Increased irritability
● Heightened sensitivity to criticism
● Signs of tension, such as nail-biting
● Difficulty getting to sleep and early morning waking
● Drinking and smoking more
● Indigestion
● Loss of concentration
We all have a level of stress, including negative stress, which is manageable for us. This level will vary from person to person and is dependent upon a number of factors, for example, self-confidence and self-esteem, stability of lifestyle and relationships, unresolved issues from our past. So, as long as we keep our stress levels below our individual limit, we are likely to be able to function effectively.
However, if we are operating at our individual limit all the time, any additional stress (even something very small) may tip the balance and move us from a position of experiencing a manageable level of stress, to a situation where we are feeling completely overloaded or out of control.
Covid and Health Anxiety
Scientists have expresed concern that residual anxiety over coronavirus may lead to some people developing compulsive hygiene habits that prevent them from intergrating into the outside world. The concept of “Covid Anxiety Syndrome” is constantly checking for symptoms of COVID, avoidance of public places, avoiding public transport and obsessive cleaning.
Fear is normal. You are supposed to fear the virus because its dangerous. The difference here is you may end up behaving in an overly safe way that locks you into the fear. For some people who have had COVID and been extremely unwell, may find themselves struggling with severe anxiety which in turn may affect their breathingleading to a major impact on their immune system and a delayed recovery.