May 2023 brings sunshine, a few showers, 3 bank holidays(!) and Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme this year is anxiety, a condition that is experienced by over 8 million people in the UK at any one time*. Sadly, a very shocking statistic.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety, in its simplest term and as described by the Oxford Dictionary is:
“the state of feeling nervous or worried that something bad is going to happen.”
Occasional anxiety is normal and in many cases, necessary! If we feel threatened, stressed or pressured, there is a need to react and respond accordingly, and sometimes that may mean a small amount of anxiety will start to bubble up. If we have a medical appointment, job interview or an exam coming up, the feeling of nervousness and worry will usually naturally appear. In some cases it can actually act as a boost and help us stay alert, aware of risks and even help us feel motivated to act quickly and solve problems. When someone is faced with a dangerous situation, anxiety triggers the fight-or-flight response which is a natural and necessary reaction. It’s a sudden release of adrenaline, a hormone produced by the adrenal gland that increases rates of breathing, blood circulation and carbohydrate metabolism, preparing our muscles to work. But being in a constant state of anxiety is extremely draining, both mentally and physically, and overall unnecessary for the individual.
The Stats
We carried a survey with our instagram community where we learned that "finances" caused people the most anxiety, taking the lead with 42% of the votes. That was closely followed by "social scenarios" coming in at 33% and "work" with 25%.
We asked you what you do to help with your anxiety, and “take CBD” came in at the top spot with 58% of the votes, followed by "exercise" at 25%, and "speaking to friends" or "seeing a counsellor" both coming in at 8%.
It’s no surprise that finances were the top anxiety-inducer, as we exist in the midst of a cost of living crisis, but it’s good to know that people are turning to CBD to support their mental wellbeing during such uncertain and stressful times.
Do you suffer with anxiety? Do you know why it happens and how to reduce it? Read on.
Know Your Triggers
There are many reasons why people may suffer with anxiety, it could be feeling extremely nervous and out of place in social situations, it could be your health constantly causing you to worry, it could be a person, or it could be trying to manage your finances, a topic many of us can relate to in the current state of living. There are many reasons for us to experience episodes of anxiety, but luckily there is help available and there are tools and techniques that you can do yourself to help manage the symptoms when they become too much to bear. Although it’s not always possible to know why you feel uneasy, try to establish what the root cause is to your feelings of anxiety, and try to rationalise your thinking. Be mindful of how you’re feeling when your anxiety is at its peak, and mentally work backwards:
- What were the steps taken in your day (or thought process) that led you to feeling anxious. Are they thoughts that you can rationalise and take control of? Is it a case of you catastrophising and thinking the worst case scenario, when in reality the worst case scenario rarely even happens?
- Did something happen to upset you but left an edgy feeling of uncomfortable nervousness that seems to be lingering on? Are you able to mentally separate that moment from controlling the rest of your day?
- Have you seen something, perhaps on the news or on social media that has scared you or made you feel inadequate? Take charge of what content you’re seeing so that it no longer affects your mood. Read on.
Social Media
Social media can be a scary place. We all know the hurt and anguish that can be caused by the keyboard warriors and trolls of this world. But funnily enough, your social media is exactly that - it’s YOURS. You can take control of the content you see, who you interact with, and make your social media a safe and pleasant space to be. Be strong and empower that space by being part of the #DeleteAndBlock movement, where you create your own policy to have a blanket ban on any accounts that no longer serve you in a positive way.
Make your social media a safe space:
- Cull, cull and cull again! Unfollow any accounts that make you feel anything but good. Even if they are friends - you don’t need to cut them out completely and cause an uncomfortable conversation about unfollowing, but you can mute their accounts so they don’t even need to know that you’re no longer seeing their content.
- Fill your feed with fun! There is an abundance of funny animal pages, meme accounts and comedians who spread joy and humour adding a bit of light entertainment to your day.
- Positivity. Follow accounts who only promote positivity, whether that’s news positivity, body positivity, mental health positivity and support, or even yummy food accounts! We’ve listed below a few of our top picks to follow:
We have come a long way from the days of the #FitFam and the #EatCleanTrainDirty era, where body before and after pictures were rife and posts of meals with no carbs were flooding feeds, making us feel inadequate for our own life choices and being reminded that we just don’t look like them: a huge anxiety and insecurity trigger for so many. And this is why it’s so important to choose wisely who you follow. Gradually over time there has been a very positive shift in “body” accounts and the body positivity movement, which we are totally here for. Dr Alex George partnered with Asics at the end of 2022 for a campaign that criticised the trend of oh before and after photos, and highlighted the fact that exercise is so much more than what you look like, it’s how it makes you feel. Speaking with Asics, Dr Alex commented:
“I have been on a real journey with exercise and the reasons why I do it. When I was younger, I really used exercise as a weapon, to try and look thin, to look a certain way. When I went on Love Island a few years later, I was over training, and it wasn’t good for my mental health. Now, I’ve changed the way I view exercise and it’s really helped my mental health. I move for my mind, rather than to look a certain way.”
Take your anxiety into your own hands with Love Hemp’s Mindset Hacks.
If you follow us on Instagram, you may have seen us talk about mindset hacks. These are little tips to trick your mind into a better, more positive way of thinking and feeling:
A simple reminder that actually, it’s not that bad
4 thoughts to control your anxiety
Was it really worth the worry?
Or when the fun of the weekend begins to reach an end and Sunday slowly starts to morph into Monday, otherwise known as “Smonday”, another anxiety-inducer, Try this!
Tools and Techniques to Manage Your Anxiety
The good news is there are very simple tools and techniques you can practise yourself that may help you get out of an anxiety episode:
EFT tapping
Emotional Freedom Tapping is a technique used by the individual to regain control of the body and mind during difficult, stressful or anxious moments which start to become overwhelming. The concept is a mind-body method of managing feelings by tapping on acupuncture points (acupoints) which are located on the hands, face and body. This method is known to reduce stress and anxiety and can even improve performance and resolve fears. It’s done by tapping on these points while focusing on a feeling you’re hoping to resolve. To learn more, click here.
CBT or CBD?
Well, both! CBT, otherwise known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a form of talking therapy used by professionals to treat individuals with more severe anxiety and other mental health conditions through aiming to reprogram how you think and to better manage your thoughts. This may be something you would want to consider if you find you are struggling to manage your anxiety alone. You should speak to your GP at this point, as CBT can be prescribed on the NHS.
CBD on the other hand is what we are known for… cannabidiol, a naturally occurring compound found in hemp which is known for its natural therapeutic properties and supporting mental and physical health. Our own bodies are producing endocannabinoids throughout the day and these interact with the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain, which are responsible for a whole host of bodily functions including sleep, mood, appetite, and many others essential for optimal wellbeing. By taking CBD (CBD is similar to a human endocannabinoid but is made by the hemp plant and is called a cannabinoid) the body recognises this into its own endocannabinoid system and boosts those wellbeing points that the CB1 and CB2 receptors are responsible for. Explore our range here and try CBD for yourself!
When To Get Help
If you feel your quality of life really is controlled by your anxiety and you feel trapped, it may be time to seek professional help. It may be more than just feeling worried or nervous, it can display itself in other ways such as:
- Trouble sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Intrusive thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
- Panic attacks
- Dissociation
- Low Mood
If you are experiencing one or any of these symptoms, it may be time to consider seeking help.
Where To Get Help
There are so many wonderful resources readily available which when accessed, can help you live the life you want to, without being crippled by anxiety:
The NHS - talking therapies are available for which you can self-refer, or you can speak to your GP who may want to assess you for other supportive services, or in some cases may need to prescribe some medication to help you.
Better Help - The world’s largest online therapy service.
Mind - They exist to fight mental health by making it an everyday priority. By standing up to the injustices – in healthcare, in work, in law – which make life harder for those of us with mental health problems. They offer help whenever you might need it through information, advice and local services.
Samaritans - If you need someone to talk to, they listen and won't judge or tell you what to do. Call on 116 123.
Mental Health UK - Mental Health UK brings together the heritage and experience of four charities from across the country who’ve been supporting people with their mental health for over 50 years. They provide support and services for some of the biggest societal challenges that pose a threat to people’s mental health, including money problems, navigating through the system to get the right support, understanding mental health, loneliness and isolation, and resilience in young people.
Campaign Against Living Miserably The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK and the cause of 18 deaths every day. Call free on 0800 58 58 58
*Mental Health UK
