Keep Calm, Don’t PAN(dem)IC!

3 min read

As mums, there are plenty of things for us to worry about! Juggling work/children/family/health is a complex process that can leave some of us feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

Anxiety is thought to affect around 1 in 6 of us, with women being twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with anxiety.

But, what is anxiety?

Well, anxiety is something that is both psychological and physical. It is an emotion, characterised by feels of worry and fear, but that goes alongside physiological changes such as increased heart rate, dizziness, and rapid breathing.

So, why do we get anxious?

Lots of reasons! Sometimes it can be a series of small events, poor health, changes at work or at home that can contribute to feelings of overload. Alternatively, it can be a significant life event, new baby, or a loss for example.

Anxiety is a totally normal response to stressful and worrying situations. In some circumstances, it can be useful, it keeps us alert and doesn’t pose any long-term risks. However, experiencing longer term anxiety can lead to problems where it begins to affect our day-to-day life and health. 

This year has been unprecedented as the world has faced the Covid -19 pandemic.

Rates of self-reported anxiety were over 50% which is far greater than the usual prevalence. These figures also indicate that it was overwhelmingly women who were struggling with their anxiety during the pandemic.

This is hardly surprising as research also indicated that women took on a disproportionate burden of unpaid labour, particularly managing childcare and homeschooling alongside paid employment.

So, this all sounds very doom and gloom! The good thing about anxiety is that there are lots of tools and tips to try to manage our anxiety and to hopefully reduce it so it doesn’t cause you too many issues.

Talk

Share your worries! This is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce your anxiety. By talking about your fears out loud, they can begin to lose some of their power and you may realise that others around you also struggle. 

Self-Care

Look after yourself. Try to get enough sleep (Not always easy with small people I know but do what you can to keep the tank topped up!), exercise when you feel like it (even a short walk around the block can help keep anxious feelings at bay), and try to get some nutritious food down you (aim for one good meal a day!)

Mindfulness

Try a guided meditation or mindfulness practice. Focus on your breathing, especially when you can feel the anxiety creeping up on you. This gives your mind a chance to slow down and also helps to give us a brief moment to be less reactive to our thoughts. 

Seek Help

If you feel your anxiety is becoming unmanageable then please get in touch with your GP who will be able to make some suggestions for treatments which could include medication or talking therapy. 

Above all, be kind to yourself.

Do not worry about other people’s situations, even if they appear to be managing ‘better’ than you. We can only know our own unique challenge and that is what we need to focus our energy and thoughts on. These tough times will pass.