How to manage worry and anxiety:
I’ve always been proud to label myself an optimist and someone who regularly reassures colleagues, friends and loved ones that we should never worry about the things that are out of our control.
However, confession time – the recent turn of events has rocked my once reliable, inbuilt, optimistic default setting. I’m still firing on all cylinders the majority of the time, but I’ve experienced days where I struggle to see beyond the worst case scenario. On these darker days, I catch myself worrying about the economy, the welfare of our front line workers or more personal concerns, like what purpose do I have in the working world, with fewer vacancies to fill.
I’m grateful that in today’s society, men discussing our mental health and wellbeing is no longer taboo. At least drastically less so, compared to yesteryear, when we would be expected to grit our teeth and suffer in silence. It’s this progressive change in attitude that has allowed me to share my struggles with you in this blog, without fear of too much judgement.
We all know what we need to do, in broad terms, to maintain a positive mind during these difficult times… keep to a routine, maintain a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise.
But what happens when our darker thoughts speak louder to us, than our internal voice of reason?
More so than going for that walk, having another glass of wine or sharing my fears with others, (all of which I can highly recommended) are great tools, but I found the attached document an invaluable aid.
The 11 page document, written by a pair of phycologists from PsychologyTools enabled me to understand what worry and anxiety actually is, why I’m suddenly experiencing it and how best to manage it. Most importantly, all within the context of our current situation with Covid19.
Page 7 specifically, provides so many great tips on keeping our mind active with far more positive endeavours than my most recent preoccupation of trying to predict how much worse things will get, before they get better.
I’d like to recommend anyone who has experienced similar “wobbles” to myself to take a look at the Activity Menu and if you like what you see, take five minutes out of your day to digest the rest of the document. It’s a really good read.
As always, if you’d like to share your story, or seek advice on the current world of recruitment, please do get in touch.
PDF Link: “Guide to living with worry and anxiety amidst global uncertainty”:
https://bit.ly/2VuDNNt
Keep safe and healthy
Glen
