Anxiety

‘The desire to avoid what is unpleasant (and seek what is pleasant) is part of human nature. And avoiding unpleasant emotions – rather than accepting them- only increases our distress, anxiety and depression, diminishing our well-being’ -Beth Kurland

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress or a perceived threat. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension, about what’s to come. This might show as butterflies in the stomach, a dryness in your mouth or a slight tremor in your voice, nausea, breathlessness, heart palpitations. The first day of school, going to a job interview, sitting an exam, giving a speech, trying something new, may cause worry and nervousness in most people.

Sometimes, and especially if there has been an adverse experience or learning, our anxiety becomes hard wired. Something that has happened in the past is driving our anticipation of the future. We might react above the level of the threat, our body learns to go into high alert for things that may not actually be a real danger or threat. These reactions might show in our lives as panic attacks and phobias.

These are sub-conscious reactions and beyond our control, our brain is on autopilot and determined to protect us and prepare us to escape or to fight. We might experience a racing heart, shortness of breath, energy in our arms and legs, and at the same time may not be able to think straight or clearly (be in a panic).

It is hard for us to THINK when we are very stressed or anxious, because the part of our brain responsible for thinking and problem solving is low on blood supply, and is basically “off line”. In EFT terms we say the amygdala is being “hijacked” by trauma or stress.

The problem is, our brain can turn on this “Fight, Flight or Freeze” response by thought alone, even though nothing “bad” is happening now, if the body is triggered in the present to remember an unsafe situation from the past, it will think the unsafe situation is happening now, and your body will act accordingly.

This can happen quite randomly, and people often do not even know what has “triggered” them to feel anxious.

When working with people experiencing anxiety it is important first to come out of or reduce the anxious state, we then work on releasing the past triggering memories and thereby releasing the anxiety. Not knowing the source of your anxiety is not a problem, Barb is well versed in helping people to locate this.

Symptoms of general anxiety include
(we all experience these differently):

increased heart rate
rapid breathing
restlessness
trouble concentrating
difficulty falling asleep
phobias

Phobias can affect every part of your life, and the way you function. Phobic people experience unreasonable and excessive levels of fear. Phobias happen when an object or situation—or just the thought of it—escalates anxiety to the point of panic.

EFT – A Study on Phobias

How can EFT help with anxiety?

Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) is now proven through clinical studies and MRi scans to reduce anxiety levels, stress levels and therefore cortisol levels, it calms the brain. As the emotional part of the brain calms you are able to move back into the thinking, logical, decision making part of your brain, and make better choices.

EFT is effective as a stress management tool to reduce daily levels, it has been shown to reduce cortisol levels by as much as 24% in one hour!

EFT can greatly enhance the relaxation techniques that you already use and provide you with self-help tools allowing you to cope with and find relief from your stress and anxiety and achieve a better overall quality of life.

https://www.scienceoftapping.org/first-large-scale-study-of-energy-psychology-with-brain-scans/

Are You Ready to Release your Anxiety?

How Can Working with Barb Empower You?

Barb will work with you to bring your general anxiety levels down and she will teach you tools to use at home to alleviate your anxiety.

If you choose you can then go further and look at the way anxiety is showing up in your life and work specifically there to reduce symptoms and effects.

Barb is also well equipped to help you get the root cause/s of your anxiety, the events that are underpinning your worry about the future and beliefs that are no longer helpful to your quality of life, and explore and develop new and healthy beliefs that support the life that you want.

Work with Barb

Philippa Haslam, Hamilton, New Zealand

Since working with Barb I am better at managing every day anxieties, and I feel like I have a better understanding of some of my more traumatic life events and the effect on me now.

Since working with Barb I am better at managing every day anxieties, and I feel like I have a better understanding of some of my more traumatic life events and the effect on me now.I would definitely recommend Barb. Talking about personal things is difficult for me but you helped me to feel comfortable and I trust you completely. My general quality of life improved with our sessions and when I am able I would love to continue them

I would definitely recommend Barb. Talking about personal things is difficult for me but you helped me to feel comfortable and I trust you completely. My general quality of life improved with our sessions and when I am able I would love to continue them .

Jill, Clutha, New Zealand

I am very grateful that since having sessions with Barb I have gained self-awareness, I am more in tune with my body and my feelings. I have more knowledge an insight into my emotions and I am better able to manage my emotions.

EFT therapy has been the most effective form of mental health treatment for me and I recommend Barb and EFT.

Mary Duncan, Whangamata, New Zealand

Barb gave me a safe space to be honest with myself and allow emotions to pass through without my own mind getting in the way and trying to stop them, allowing me to release internal stress and pressures. The release of these emotions has opened up space for my creativity, personal direction and purpose to unfold and become clear, which has been the biggest positive impact. Finding direction and purpose in my life going forward, and also to my past and understanding why my experiences have all been necessary to get me to where I am now.

Everything has changed in my life since having sessions with Barb! My perspective on myself, my habits, my characteristics that contribute to a lot of my current frustrations – the changes in my relationships with my family, and my understanding of my past. It’s made a huge positive impact on my struggles with mental health and anxiety, and understanding trauma, growing self-love and encouraging self-forgiveness.

I’ve recommended Barb to family and friends. When I see situations in other people that I have personally experienced, and then healed through EFT, and these other people can’t seem to find the right ‘fix’. EFT is the one practice that has regularly been a success and the longest commitment I’ve been able to stick too in my ‘health’ journey.

Everything has change in my life since having sessions with Barb! My perspective on myself, my habits, my characteristics that contribute to a lot of my current frustrations – the changes in my relationships with my family, and my understanding of my past. It’s made a huge positive impact on my struggles with mental health and anxiety, and understanding trauma, growing self-love and encouraging self-forgiveness.

I’ve recommended Barb to family and friends. When I see situations in other people that I have personally experienced, and then healed through EFT, and these other people can’t seem to find the right ‘fix’, EFT is the one practice that has regularly been a success and the longest commitment I’ve been able to stick too in my ‘health’ journey.