Satellite
Carers’ Self Advocacy Toolkit
Dealing with
anxiety
Dealingwithanxiety
SATELLITE
Dealingwithanxiety
Afirststepindealingwithanxietyisrecognisingthatyouexperience
anxiety.Asecondisbeingwillingtomakesomechangesinyourlife.Itis
alsousefultobeabletoidentifythethingsthattriggeryouranxietyandto
worktochangethosethingsasmuchaspossible.Forexample,ifyouknow
thatyoudrinkmorethan6cupsofcoffeeaday,youcanmakestepsto
reduceyourcaffeineintake.Ascarers,therewillbethingsthatyoucan’t
changeverymuch,suchasbrokensleep,beingoncallforlargeamountsof
timeandworriesaboutthepersonyouarecaringfor,soit’simportantto
berealisticabouthowmuchyoucanalter.Buttheremaybemorethings
youcandotomanageyouranxiety.
SelfHelp
AgoodfirstoptionmightbetolookatsomeselfͲ
helpmaterialsavailablefromyourlibrary,GP
surgery,hospitalorlocalcarerscentre.Therearea
numberofonlineresourcesandorganisations(see
usefulcontactsbelow)thatcanhelpyoulearnmore
aboutyourownanxietyandhowyoumightbeable
todealwithit.
Medication
Severaltypesofmedicationareavailabletotreat
anxiety.YourGPwillbeabletodiscussmedication
withyou.Youcanalsofindoutalotabout
medicationfromleaflets,websitesandtelephone
helplines(seeusefulcontactsbelow).
TalkingTherapies
Talkingtherapygivesyoutheopportunitytodiscuss
youranxietywithsomeonewhoistrainedinthis
areaandwhoyoucanspeaktoconfidentially.They
canhelpyoufaceyouranxietiesanddevelop
strategiestoovercomeortoatleastmanageyour
anxiety.Youmaybeabletoaccesscounsellingvia
yourGP.
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Takingtimeout
Ifyouarefeelinganxious,sayduringameeting,try
andtakefiveminutesouttocalmyourselfandtake
afewdeepbreaths.Havealookattherelaxation
techniquesdescribedbelow.
RelaxationTechniques
Whetheryouareinareviewmeetingfortheperson
youarecaringfor,orarefindingittoughgoingat
home,usingrelaxationtechniquescanhelpyoufeel
moreincontrolandareusefulinmaintainingyour
longtermhealthandwellͲbeing.Toeffectively
combatstressandanxiety,youwillneedtoactivate
thebody’snatural‘relaxationresponse’.
Therelaxationresponseiswhenthebodystops
producingadrenalin.Theheartrateslowsdownto
anormalpaceandbreathingbecomesnormal.
Musclescanrelaxandnormalbrainactivity
resumes,soweareabletothinkthingsthrough
better,ratherthanfocusingonfleeingorfighting.
It’snotpossibleforapersontoberelaxedand
tenseatthesametimesoifyouarefeelingrelaxed,
BEINGHEARD:ASELFADVOCACYGUIDEFORCARERS
Dealingwithanxiety
youprobablywon’tbefeelinghighͲlevelanxietyas
well.
SATELLITE
x
x
Thereisnosinglerelaxationtechniquethatsuits
everyone,soitisamatteroffindingonethatsuits
youandyourroutine.Tofindtherighttechnique
foryoutopromptyour‘relaxationresponse’you
willneedtobeawareofhowyourespondtostress
andanxiety.
x
x
x
x
Howdoyoureacttostressfulsituations?
Doyoutendtobecomeangry,agitatedorkeyed
up?
Youmayrespondbesttorelaxationtechniquesthat
quietenyoudown,suchasmeditation,deep
breathingorguidedimagery.
Doyoutendtobecomedepressed,withdrawn,or
spacedͲout?
Youmayrespondbesttorelaxationtechniquesthat
arestimulatingandthatenergizeyournervous
system,suchasexercise.
DoyoutendtofreezeͲspeedupinternallywhile
slowingdownexternally?
Relaxationtechniquesthatprovidesafetyand
stimulationmayhelpyou‘reͲboot’.Techniques
suchasmindfulness,walkingorpoweryogamight
workwellforyou.
Doyouneedtimealoneortimewithothers?
Ifyoucravesolitude,techniqueslikemeditationor
progressivemusclerelaxationwillhelpquietyour
mind.Ifyoulikecompany,ayoga/relaxationclass
maybeforyou.
Meditation
Belowareafewpopularrelaxationtechniquesfor
youtotryout.Formoretechniques,visityourlocal
libraryorcallyourcarerscentre.Togetthemost
outofit,it’sbesttopracticeyourrelaxation
techniqueasregularlyaspossible.Ifpossibleit‘s
bestdotoitatatimewhenyouwon’tbedisturbed.
Breathingmeditation
Tocontrolyourbreathingwhenyoufeelanxious:
ʹ
x
Placeonehandonyourchestandoneon
yourstomach
Repeatahelpfulwordlike‘calm’or‘relax’
outloudorinyourhead
Breatheinthroughyournoseusing1,2,3
slowly
Breatheoutthroughyourmouthcounting
1,2,3
Aimtodothisforatleastfiveminutes
Keepyourwholebodyrelaxedwhiledoing
this
It’sagoodideatopracticethiswhenyouare
notfeelinganxiousasitdoestakeawhile
beforeitwillworkinasituationofhigh
anxiety
Deepmuscularrelaxation
Lie down or sit in an arm chair, your eyes open.
Observe your breathing. When you feel settled
clench your fists for a few seconds while you
breathingin.Beawareofthetensioninthehands.
Then, when you breathe out, relax the hands and
beawareofthemrelaxingandthebloodcirculating
around. Work around your body (see below)
tensingontheinbreath,beingawareofthetension
andthenrelaxingontheoutbreath,noticinghowit
feelsforthattensiontohavebeenreleased…
Arms
Shoulders
Neck
Neck(2)
Chest
Stomach
Lowerback
Bottom
Thighs
Frontoflegs
tightenbicepsandlowerarms
togetherwithoutthehands
raiseyourshouldersasifthey
couldtouchyourears
stretchyourheadupasifyour
chincouldtouchtheceiling
bendyourheadforwarduntil
yourchinreachesyourchest
tightenallyourchestmuscles
holdyourstomachmusclesin
tight
pressthesmallofyourbackinto
thefloor/thechair
clenchyourbuttockstogether
tightenthethighswhilepressing
yourkneesdownontothefloor
pointyourfootawayfromyouso
thatitisalmostparallelwith
yourleg
BEINGHEARD:ASELFADVOCACYGUIDEFORCARERS
Dealingwithanxiety
SATELLITE
Backoflegs
flexyourfeetupwards,
stretchingyourheelsdown
Feet screwupyourtoes
MouthandJaw pressyourlipstogetherand
clenchyourteeth
Eyes
shutthemtight
Head
raiseyoureyebrowsashighas
youcan
Face
screwupallthemuscles
together
Guidedimagery
Somepeoplefindthattheystillhaveanxietyintheir
mindseveniftheyarephysicallyrelaxed.Ifthis
happenstoyou,makealistofplacesorsituations
thatyoufindcalmingorrelaxingandimaginethat
youareinoneofthesesituations.Don’tworryif
theimageskeepchanging.Justguidetheimages
intocalmwatersandawayfromsourcesoftrouble.
Forexample,youcouldbeimaginingacalmspoton
thebanksofariveroranotherfavouriteplaceyou
havebeentoandfeltrelaxedin.Ifyoufindyour
mindwanderingtowardstoday’sproblems,gently
bringyourattentionbacktotheriverbank…
Mindfulness
ContactusfortheSatelliteonMindfulness
Dealingwithanxietyinpracticalways
Letpeopleknowyouhaveanxiety
Sothattheycanunderstandyouandhelpyoukeep
calm,giveyoutimetobecomecalm.
Distraction
Thinkingaboutthephysicalsymptomsofanxiety
willonlymakethemworse.Sometimes,itmaybe
usefultothinkaboutsomethingelse.Some
techniquesthatmightbehelpfulare;readingor
talkingtosomeone,mentalgames,suchascounting
backwards,ordescribingwhereyouaretoyourself
ingreatdetail.
͵
Usefulcontacts
AnxietyUK–08444775774
NoPanic(ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder
OCD)–08001388889
BEINGHEARD:ASELFADVOCACYGUIDEFORCARERS