A life of anxiety is like a game of Jenga – you are only in control of half the things that are going on, and you never know when things might go wrong. Step by step, you have to make your move changing the position of something in your life, while someone else is making moves that you cannot control. And all the time there is a sense of jeopardy as you never know if your life will collapse in front of you.
Of course, although our lives might seem like jeopardy, things very rarely go wrong to the extent that our lives are completely ruined. Most people have survived major changes to their lives, some brought on by themselves, but mostly brought on by external circumstances. We are a very resilient species and able to cope with a lot.
Whereas a game of Jenga gives us a sense of excitement, never quite knowing when the tower is going to fall, uncertainty in life gives rise to anxiety. The stakes are higher in the game of life; we cannot rebuild the Jenga tower and start again. When things go wrong, we have to cope.
Sometimes, it seems like there is so much that is going wrong, that the anxiety become overwhelming. This is the time many people seek out help. In truth, it would be better if they had sought help before it got that bad.
Help comes in many forms, and these can be divided into three main categories:
- Self Help – There are plenty of things you can do for yourself that will improve things – exercise, eating less junk food, getting enough sleep, making time to give our brains a rest and so on.
- Medication – There are plenty of drugs that can be prescribed that can make an anxiety-filled life more tolerable.
- Therapy – There are plenty of therapists from different disciplines that can help.
I would always recommend self-help first, but if you need help beyond that, my natural tendency is to head for hypnotherapy. Of course, that is what I do, so I would say that … but I have seen so many people get back in control of their anxiety-ridden lives through hypnotherapy that it comes at the top of my list.
And Finally …
If you want the help of a hypnotherapist, please consider me. I work out of my clinic in Fleet, Hampshire, as well as online. I specialise in helping people with anxiety-related issues. If you want to Contact Me, I would be very happy to have a chat and answer your questions.
Photo courtesy of Emily Fullerton at the Mental health Foundation