Are you worrying
too much?
A small amount of worry can
be good. ‘It can be helpful if
we use it to take action,’ says
Ali. ‘But having anticipation
anxiety of something which
may not happen uses a lot of
energy.’ If you answer ‘Yes’ to
at least two of the questions
below, then you may suffer
from excessive worry...
● Do you get easily tired, but
struggle to sleep?
● Do you often find it
difficult to concentrate?
● Do you have tension in
your muscles?
● Do minor things often spiral into
major concerns?
● Once it starts, is your worrying
hard to stop?F
rom family to finances,
worrying is natural,
with 86%* of Brits
describing themselves
as ‘worriers’. But the problem
starts when you worry too
much or about the wrong
things, and don’t deal with it
effectively. ‘We can get trapped
in a cycle of overthinking,’ says
psychotherapist Ali Moore
(bemoore.uk). ‘This causes a
raised heart rate and an
increase of adrenalin, which can
lead to insomnia, and then we
worry about the worry, which
makes the symptoms worse.’
Thankfully, you can learn to
change your habit. Here’s how...Get moving
Too busy to sit down? You’re certainly
not alone! Why not try the Walking
Meditation at headspace.com? It’s a
mixture of meditation and exercise.
‘Meditation can help clear your mind
while exercise releases endorphins,
which eases anxiety,’ explains Alistair.
‘Stretches, yoga or putting music on
and having a little dance, will distract
you from your worries.’Meet our experts...
Psychotherapist
Ali Moore has
her own private
practice BeMoore
(bemoore.uk).Nick Davies
is a psychotherapist
and hypnotherapist
(ndhypnotherapy.com).Alistair Murray
is clinical
director at Echo,
a prescription and
medication service.your worr ies!
Wave away
Worn out from worrying? Whatever’s
causing your anxiety, these tips will help
calm your mind, without the need for pills...
Eat right, worry less
● Low blood sugar levels can trigger panic, so eat little^
and often. ‘Plus, swap out caffeinated drinks as these^
can increase anxiety,’ says Alistair.
● Try a serene smoothie. A study from Japan found
mangoes can help promote calm. Blend half a^
mango with a large glass of almond milk. Almonds
are rich in magnesium, known to help relax muscles.
● Eat more oily fish. Fish oil can lessen the^
production of stress hormones adrenalin and
cortisol. Two mackerel, sardines
or pilchards a week is ideal.