Most people experience some level of stress and anxiety in their lives – its normal. Although stress and anxiety share many of the same emotional and physical symptoms, their origin and severity differ. Ultimately though, if they start to impact your ability to carry out everyday tasks, explore relationships or enjoy life – stress and anxiety can feel overwhelming. Through therapy, we work to reduce your symptoms so you can start to enjoy life again!
Things WILL Get Better.
When stress takes over, it can manifest in a bunch of different ways. We might find ourselves feeling anxious, irritable or overwhelmed. We might be procrastinating, struggling to concentrate, withdrawing from others or finding it difficult to communicate. Or we might even be experiencing more physical symptoms like difficulty sleeping, headaches, muscle tension and changes in appetite.
Stress is a response to something external eg. pressure at work, an argument with a friend, or trying to balance the budget. So usually, your stress will subside when the situation is resolved. Often the symptoms of stress can be reduced by getting some physical exercise, connecting with friends, healthy eating, breathing exercises, getting regular sleep etc.
Anxiety can reach the point where it cripples us. Our quality of life is detrimentally impacted, and life becomes a constant balancing act as we try to live a “normal” life while not being consumed by fear and panic. Many people choose to withdraw from the world rather than being part of it. We might completely avoid situations that we think could worsen our level of anxiety, leading to long-term disconnection from others.
Anxiety is not always a reaction to something external. Typically, anxiety can be described as constant feelings of dread and apprehension when the situation around us is not actually threatening. Unlike stress, anxiety continues even after the situation has passed. 1n 2022, research showed that 3 million Australians are living with anxiety. It’s the most common mental health condition.
Social anxiety in fact is becoming increasingly common and among younger Australians who experience excessive fear of situations where they may be judged, embarrassed, or excluded by others.
Working with a counsellor to decrease your stress can be helpful. Together we can create a plan for you to tackle the cause(s) of your stress. We can pinpoint what actions you need to take to reduce or eliminate the symptoms you’re experiencing, and identify ways to prevent unmanageable levels of stress in the future. Therapy is a safe place for you to speak about what’s going on without fear of judgement or worry of burdening those you love who may not be aware of the pressure you’re feeling.
Therapy can also help reduce your feelings of anxiety. We’ll work together to help you to stop feeling so stuck in a never-ending cycle of worry and fear, with lingering physical challenges and disconnection from others. In therapy, we’ll search for the underlying cause(s) of your anxiety. We’ll identify and challenge the negative thought patterns that are contributing to your anxiety, and develop some coping skills to alleviate the pressure when required. We can also work on your communication skills as these tend to decline after periods of withdrawal. Therapy can help you to regain your equilibrium and end the cycle of fear and worry.
Please note, we also offer online appointments via phone or zoom.
"The truth is that stress doesn't come from your boss, your kids, your spouse, traffic jams, health challenges or other circumstances. It comes from your thoughts about your circumstances."
- Andrew Bernstein
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Beverley Stewart - Counselling / Psychotherapy / Groups acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.