Mental Health

DEALING WITH ANXIETY RIGHT NOW 5 simple ways that help

 MINDSET | MARCUS WHEAN

ANXIETY is such a prevalent issue in our busy and fast-paced lives. Not to mention with adverse events like floods, bush fires and viruses.

The pressure to keep up with and adjust to what seems like ever-changing conditions on top of managing our busy lives, family commitments, job pressures etc, it is so common to experience stress and anxiety. It has become the ‘new normal’ for many.

Ideally it shouldn’t be this way. The way we live is, in many ways, unnatural but it is the norm. So how do we adapt and respond instead of reacting and needlessly suff ering?

Being realistic, the world we live in is here to stay and we can resist it and wish it all away if we want to, but this isn’t helpful and such thinking only serves to exacerbate stress and anxiety.

So, what can we do? First of all, anxiety, what is it? Unlike what you may think, it is not an emotion alone, like fear. Fear is often a part of it, yes. However, anxiety is not an emotion, it is a responsive state.

Technically it’s called an aff ective state. This state is otherwise known as the stress response or more commonly – the fl ight/fi ght response. To illustrate simply, when we perceive a threat (either in reality, or imagine it), certain nervous system processes are triggered.

These processes are essentially about mobilising us to take refuge (avoid) or confront a threat.

The problem can be, and this is what many of us struggle with, is that there isn’t an actual life-endangering threat, and so we end up feeling almost paralyzingly stuck in limbo between avoiding and confronting our threat (real or imagined).

Moreover, many people with anxiety often ‘create’ anxiety just by thinking about stress.

This is the great tragedy of many anxiety disorders and why it can be so pervasive is that people are anxious because of the way they are thinking about things.

The plot thickens too because in a physical aff ective state, people just keep on thinking about what makes them anxious which in turn keeps making them feel anxious. It’s one awfully vicious cycle.

What can you do if and when you’re anxious? Here’s some simple tips and things to try right away. These are evidence-based and what I teach my clients: 1. Calming the body is always the fi rst step – calm the body and the mind shall follow. Notice your breath right now. Focus on breathing into your belly. Feel the belly rise not the chest. Imagine a balloon is in your belly and infl ate it. This visual helps.

Consciously keep breathing like this whenever you’re anxious. This reverses the fl ight/fi ght nervous response 2. Tapping just under the left collar bone. There’s a sensitive spot you’ll notice. Just gently tap this spot. This is based in Chinese acupressure.

You’ll notice this is a similar action to soothing a crying baby. We are soothing and reassuring ourselves. 3. Look around – identify and name 5 things you can see; then 4 diff erent things; 3 other diff erent things and so on. Rinse and repeat. This activates the executive centre of the brain. Works a bit like distraction but is also a form of grounding and reality-checking. This one is good for social anxiety. 4. Mindset–try once you’ve tried the others and the body anxiety feelings have reduced a bit. Journal and make note/s of what you’re anxious about. Try to reframe the thoughts; reassure yourself; gently challenge the way you may be thinking; remind yourself pf past wins or overcoming challenges. Reassure yourself and mind that these are just thoughts and feelings. 5. Finally, take action! Action always helps. Avoidance maintains anxiety. Identify the thing you’re anxious about. Deal with it and act if possible. Working on problems and getting them off your chest means you’re not worried about them anymore. Have goals and work on them daily. Positive actions are always a great preventor for anxiety and stress. And of course talking about what you’re feeling to a friend can often be helpful.

These singularly or in combination help most people but require practise and prevention is better than intervention, so try them now or anytime so they become familiar and easier to apply and more likely to help if and when you feel really stressed or anxious.

If anxiety and stress persist and/ or is causing ongoing diffi culties in your life please see your GP for advice or engage the help of a mental health professional.

Marcus Whelan is a Registered Psychologist and Mental Fitness Coachwith 10+ years’ experience in private practice. He holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in psychology and education. Visit: www.marcuswhelanpsychology.com.au

FOCUS AREAS FOR YOUR DIGITAL BUSINESS! Working in the cyber world

 NICHOLAS FISHER

IN March of 2020, Australia saw thousands of businesses and millions of employees go online due to the COVID lockdown.

At that moment, it became evident that many were not adequately prepared to move into the digital space.

In particular, many businesses had no cybersecurity policies in place to protect their digital assets. At the same time, cybercriminals had more content than ever to illegally access, use and sell.

It is now essential to understand that you are in a post-COVID digital world and to keep up, you need to secure your digital business assets properly in these fi ve key areas in the modern, postCOVID era.

Lack of Awareness

The COVID related move to working online has made it brutally clear that many business employees have no clear idea about cybersecurity – they are your weakest link.

It is vital that your staff be trained and educated to understand the meaning of cybersecurity, the type of cybersecurity threats, and what to do if a cyberattack occurs on your business network.

Without proper education and training, you have lost the fi ght against cybercrime before it has even started. Hence, staff education and awareness about cybersecurity is a key focus area for your digital business.

Lack of Budget

Many businesses do not adequately budget for cybersecurity. Just like all other essential areas of your business, cybercrime requires a suffi cient budget to cover not only pre-emptive action but also for remedying any issues that may arise out of a cyberattack. By adding cybersecurity costs into your annual budget, you ensure that your business networks are able to defend themselves appropriately.

Lack of protection

Digital businesses that lack awareness and a budget also tend to lack competent protection for their digital assets.

Cybersecurity can come in many forms, such as two-factor authentication, anti-virus software and network protection software.

These forms of protection work side by side with the cybersecurity education and training your employees receive to create a strong barrier between your business and any cybercrime.

Lack of backups

One area of cybersecurity that many businesses miss is the use of backups and cloud storage services.

Cloud storage and backups assist cybersecurity in two ways. First, cloud storage and backups provide a way to access your digital business assets even after a cyberattack has shut down your network, keeping your business running.

Second, cloud storage applications have their own forms of cybersecurity that go a long way in protecting your digital assets at a smaller cost.

Lack of innovation

Cybersecurity should not just be the employee’s problem; it needs to start in the boardroom. Many long-running and successful businesses are also the ones that have the most signifi cant gaps in cybersecurity.

This is because the heads of those businesses either do not know about cybersecurity or do not believe it to be an issue. It is vital that cybersecurity be treated as if it were as important as advertising or fi nancial goals.

Thus, as the business owner, you need to lead by example and seek to innovate your network protection and cyber insurance.

Nicholas Fisher is a graduate solicitor under the supervision of Katherine Hawes, the Principal Solicitor of Digital Age Lawyers. Visit: www. digitalagelawyers.com

SERVICES: • COMMERCIAL LAW • DIGITAL & SOCIAL MEDIA LAW • ASSET & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • ESTATE PLANNING • FAMILY LAW • LITIGATION SPECIALIST • SOLICITOR ADVOCATE

SPECIAL: Legal Strategy Session for $275 + GST