Thousands of New Zealanders wake up every single day and go to work putting on a brave face and battling the day ahead. They are doing their best to not let anyone know that they are suffering from anxiety, and doing their best just to keep it together.
For the people who are suffering every day, even though from the outside it may not look like much is going on, on the inside it can be all consuming. Often clients tell me they put on a brave face to get by each day, doing their best to ignore the anxiety and simply hoping that one day, it will just go away. But for so many people, over time, it gets worse and worse. This is a common story that I frequently hear from my clients..
Whether the anxiety is a constant worry about what could go wrong, or what would happen if you don’t do a good enough job, or perhaps it's an uncomfortable physical symptom, or a sensation of unease, maybe sweating or blushing. Maybe the anxiety is a constant feeling or it comes out of the blue like a panic attack or perhaps it is a social anxiety, like when someone comes up to talk to you - maybe your boss or colleague - and it triggers this undesirable response. For so many people this can get so bad that they won't even go out and interact socially because they're scared of the anxiety.
Some people just accept the anxiety and put up with it, but then all of a sudden they have a panic attack or their heart starts racing. For example, if their boss asks them to do a speech or talk in front of a group of people which triggers a very uncomfortable experience and this can start an avalanche of feelings and intensify what was always there.
I have been told so many times that someone’s’ anxiety is a large contributing factor keeping them stuck and not being able to progress in their careers. And it can and often does take away their ability to be as productive as they would like; often affecting people's self-worth and self-esteem. Obviously people notice that their quality of life and work enjoyment will be much lower than what they want. And while this is going on the person generally is concerned that other people will know that they have anxiety. Believe it or not this is really common.
You may be suffering from anxiety yourself and realise that you need help but are too scared to speak to your boss or HR manager. Perhaps you worry how they will treat or think about you differently if they know that you have anxiety. One of the reasons this concern is so common is because of how most people think anxiety is a mental illness. However at Inspiring Wellness we see anxiety with a different lens, we see anxiety as it really is - which is a ‘nervous system phenomenon’.
As my clients begin to work through their anxiety and resolve it, they learn to see anxiety as a nervous system that is just being in the fight or flight mode, from an accumulation of stressors and traumas experienced over time. We teach them new strategies for dealing with this and life becomes so much better.
Some companies, especially the ones that really value their staff, will often help out. Whether that is giving you some flexibility with time off, so you can have some sessions for help, or, what I have come across several times, is wellness conscious employers who will actually pay for staff to have sessions and get well. Some of them may even subsidise their staff or pay for the first few sessions. They do this mainly because they know that when the workers are happier and healthier they will enjoy their job more, increase productivity and take less sick days off. They also know the cost of too much stress and anxiety and how this can negatively affect the whole work culture. They may, indeed, have experienced anxiety themselves.
To me the most important thing, if you are someone who is suffering from anxiety is to please make sure you are aware that there are things that you can do to help yourself. You can learn to resolve it. You may have heard the myth that everyone has some anxiety and you just have to learn to live with it - but this is simply not true.
I work with hundreds of people every year with all types of anxiety and they learn to resolve it. So I believe if you have anxiety the real question is… are you willing to do whatever it takes to get well? If you want to resolve your anxiety, if you want to do it without taking toxic medication, if you want to do it without having to talk with a therapist or psychologist, if you are open minded and want to get results, then I would be happy to help you transform your life.
As long as you can make it into the Auckland CBD where my clinic is and you have a willingness to resolve your anxiety I can help you transform your life.
If you are interested then read some of our testimonials, or perhaps buy my book on helping people with anxiety, and, most importantly when you are ready book yourself in for a visit or a free 20min consult. To learn more about our process and how we can help you resolve your anxiety.
I am the owner of Inspiring Wellness, a wellness and personal transformation clinic in Auckland CBD and the Author of "Wellness Words, how to think speak and feel great" and "How to Break free from Anxiety". I love helping my clients take back their lives and regain their health and get a whole new higher quality of life. If you are curious if we can help you, please contact us. We are here to help you.