Keriesplace Blog

Anxiety and addiction are often found together. We instinctively try to escape from uncomfortable feelings by turning to drugs,alcohol,cigarettes or food to soothe us. All the while, we may not be aware of what we are feeling or may not know how to handle it.

There are many sources of stress in today’s world that we need to learn how to deal with rather than try to escape from.

The whole of life is about adjusting to changing circumstances. There are many things that cause stress, such as:

1.changing weather conditions

2.noise levels

3.other peoples’behaviour

4.financial problems

5.family conflict

6.death

7.adolescence

8.menopause

9.illness

10.lack of sleep

11.cultural and religious demands

Our own thinking also adds to our stress and anxiety levels especially if we have perfectionist tendencies.

As a first step forward to stopping anxiety and addiction, it is vital to get appropriate nutrition, rest, exercise and adopt a relaxation process such as meditation or deep conscious breathing and positive self-talk.

This is easier said than done for people who find themselves hurtling through life at the speed of light, burning the candle at both ends and grabbing another coffee or piece of chocolate, just to keep going. The question we would be wise to ask ourselves is why we feel we have to keep going at breakneck speed, no matter what? Where are we rushing to?

Some ways to deal with anxiety and addiction are:

1. Slowing down. When we slow down, we can notice how we are feeling more easily, breathe and calm down, rather than unconsciously put another cigarette in our mouths.

2. Schedule a set time to worry. Keep a notepad with you and each time you notice an anxious thought, write it down to take to your worry time. You can set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and this can be your worry time. When the time is up, do something that is fun.

3. For people who have a generalized anxiety and no specific worries it is not a wise idea to have a worry time. Rather, watch a funny video and laugh or read some jokes to relax tense muscles. Laughter actually reduces the stress hormones in the body.

4. If you do have worries, writing them down will remove them from your mind and help you better manage them. Learning how to plan, problem-solve, set goals and prioritize them will reduce your anxiety level, rather than feeling overwhelmed and turning to addiction as an escape.

Anxiety and addiction need not take over our lives. Maybe we just need to learn some management skills to help us better deal with the stresses in our lives.

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