Anxiety Clinic Dublin

Tag: Stress

  • Do you fear heights or flying or both?

    View from an airplane window

    I am sometimes asked if a fear of heights (acrophobia) and a fear of flying (aviophobia or aerophobia) are connected as I have came across many people happy to get on an aeroplane to cross an ocean yet can’t climb a ladder to clean a window and vice versa.

    Like most phobias the psychological and physical responses are the same such as:

    • increased heart rate, sweating, dizziness, and panic attacks.

    • negative thinking patterns and previous experiences, can influence both fears.

    However the triggers are different :

    • Acrophobia: This fear is triggered by situations where an individual is at a high elevation and can see the drop, such as being on a tall building, a ladder, or a cliff. The fear is often related to the potential for falling(basiphobia)

    • Aviophobia: This fear is specifically related to the act of flying in an airplane. It can be triggered by various aspects of flying, such as takeoff, turbulence, or the confined space of an aircraft, and may include fears of crashing or lack of control.

    Yet there are overlaps and differences:

    • People with acrophobia may also experience fear when flying because airplanes are high above the ground. The thought of being high up can trigger anxiety even if the context is different.

    • However, not all people with acrophobia have a fear of flying. Some might feel safe within the enclosed environment of an airplane, where they do not perceive the height in the same way as being on an open structure.

    • Conversely, some people with a fear of flying do not have a fear of heights. Their fear may be more related to the specifics of being in an aircraft, such as claustrophobia, turbulence, or the inability to escape the situation easily.

    Thus , while there is a potential connection between a fear of heights and a fear of flying, they are distinct phobias with different triggers and may or may not co-occur in the same individual. Yet other phobias such as basiphobia and claustrophobia may be more connected and play a part in the fear triggers and responses.

    Hypnotherapy is a powerful proven therapeutic method for dealing with the emotional responses to these fears and phobias and can easily be applied to anyone who wants to get on with their lives. Perhaps visiting people in far away places or getting on the rollercoaster rides with the kids.

    You see you don’t have to succumb to your fears and phobias and miss out on the pleasures in life.

    There is always a choice, a choice to live your life on your terms and seize the opportunities that fear can rob you from.

    David McAllister

    anxietyclinic@dublin.com

    ++353(0)858435939

  • 10 benefits of a day off. What’s your favourite?

    Taking a day off from work or regular responsibilities can have several benefits for your overall well-being and productivity. Here are some of the key advantages:

    1. Rest and Relaxation: A day off provides an opportunity to recharge your energy and reduce stress levels. It allows you to step away from the demands of work and take time for yourself.
    2. Mental Health: Regular breaks and time off can positively impact your mental health. It can help prevent burnout, reduce feelings of overwhelm, and improve your mood.
    3. Physical Health: Taking a day off can give your body a chance to recover from physical strain and potential ailments related to stress and overwork.
    4. Increased Productivity: Paradoxically, taking time off can boost your productivity in the long run. It allows you to return to work feeling refreshed and more focused, potentially leading to higher-quality work and better problem-solving abilities.
    5. Enhanced Creativity: Stepping away from your routine can foster creativity and inspiration. Having new experiences and exploring different activities can stimulate your mind and lead to fresh ideas.
    6. Work-Life Balance: Taking regular days off is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It enables you to spend quality time with family and friends, pursue hobbies, and engage in activities you enjoy.
    7. Prevention of Burnout: When people overexert themselves without taking breaks, it can lead to burnout, which negatively affects their physical and mental health. Taking time off helps to prevent burnout and fosters long-term job satisfaction.
    8. Improved Relationships: Spending time away from work can strengthen relationships with family and friends. It allows you to be more present and engaged during your time off.
    9. Self-Care: Taking a day off is a form of self-care, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
    10. Long-Term Health Benefits: Consistently taking days off and managing stress can have positive effects on your long-term health, reducing the risk of stress-related illnesses.

    Remember, the benefits of taking a day off can be maximized when you use your time intentionally. Engaging in activities that bring you joy, practicing mindfulness, and avoiding work-related tasks during your day off can help you reap the full advantages of this well-deserved break.

    So ditch the guilt and jump right in, you deserve it, go on treat yourself.

    Have a good one.

    David

    Contact

  • Feeding anxiety through repetition

    Cannot sleep

    Picture the scene, your in bed, anxiously just lying there,the seconds on the clock becoming minutes which soon become hours. No sleep just thoughts bouncing around your head. This is so common when we are anxious.Worry, stress, rerun conversations going round and round and feeling totally bushwhacked when it’s time to get up.

    We never seem to be able to relax, always walking zombie like through life always making mistakes and that no matter how hard we try we always seem to be in trouble or doing things wrong.

    Despite our best of intentions of trying to keep helping other people, or to make a positive difference, it all seems to keep going wrong.

    Sometimes when we are anxious, we end up trying too hard, or not seeing the problems in what we’re doing, because we’re rushing around not able to focus on what we are doing we end up making a mess of things.

    I can think of so many people who just couldn’t stop and kept making things worse even though they had the best of intentions.

    When the anxiety systems of the brain are active, we’ll often get that knot in the stomach, or a tight chest, and those physical feelings make everything feel urgent and really strong. We act instinctively trying to do the right thing but time after time it seems like we just keep getting it wrong.

    The more you try the worse it seems to get , your anxiety feeding self doubts and feelings of failure. You beat yourself up over the smallest things , you feel alone as if it’s only you going through this constant cycle of anxious failure.

    It doesn’t all have to be like this. Little changes can make a big difference. Cutting stress with simple activities like mindfulness, exercise, focused breathing etc can all dial down the strength of that worry reaction.

    However, if there’s been a lifelong tendency of anxiety or to always be worrying, or having constant mental reruns , then there’s probably a lot of opportunity to make life better by dealing with those issues. That’s what has completely turned the lives around for many people I have seen.

    My honest advice is be true to yourself and make a list of what and how often you are worrying or stressing and see how big an issue it is in life. You can choose to ignore it but if that’s what you have been doing up until now ask yourself how that’s been working out for you.

    There are a lot of proven ways to reduce anxiety, worry, fears and phobias – I use a variety of strategies tailored to personal needs.

    Recognizing that there’s room for improvement in life is very often the first step that takes us to doing what we need to do to make our life better in the future.

    You have lost enough sleep to anxiety now is the time to get the help you need.

    David McAllister Contact

    • 6 Tips for sitting exams

      twitter.com/darainem/status/1529910559394648070

    • How to stay optimistic as the pandemic grinds ever onwards

      ‘Perspective thinking’, getting outdoors and having things to look forward to can all help
      — Read on www.irishtimes.com/news/health/how-to-stay-optimistic-as-the-pandemic-grinds-ever-onwards-1.4763902

    • Anxiety and Covid-19. It might surprise you.

      Some alarming statistics where nearly 20% linked to anxiety based disorders.

      Get this quote from the paper :

      Anxiety and fear-related disorders were a prevalent condition in our sample; they were also the second highest risk factor for death among the underlying conditions considered in our study.

      Click to access 21_0123.pdf

      Of course it doesn’t have to be like this. We as individuals, groups even societies can do something about this.

      However we need to be honest with ourselves and take the intelligent first step towards action and seek out the help needed.

      I’m sure you will agree it is in all our best interests to do so. Agreed?

      anxietyclinicdublin.com

    • So what would you do?

      Dog in water sink swim float

      A little gift from a former client which was very nice of them. It came with a little note stating that I had helped her stay afloat.

      I think it’s not always clear cut on how we need to approach problems and indeed solutions as there may be a third way which is available if only we take the time to appreciate it.

      She didn’t want to give up by sinking nor swim away but just staying afloat was enough to keep her head in the right place.

      The note concluded with , “It’s been a pleasure”. My sentiments exactly.

      So what would you do?

    • Let the happiness in (Jump Back up July)

      Jump back up July

      Great calendar from the action for happiness crew. Simple daily actions for July that we can all do.

    • Amazingly Simple breathing technique to try right Now.

      Breathing to relax

      Have you ever found yourself feeling stressed or anxious and you are literally gasping for air , struggling to breathe?

      This is scary, right?

      Probably you have found the more you try to breathe the harder it becomes,true?

      Well now you can use this amazingly simple breathing technique that will instantly relax you, letting both your mind and body settle .

      The best thing is , as it is so simple, all you have to do is remember 3 numbers : 4-7-8

      Simple right?

      So this is what you do:

      1- Breathe in through your nose to the count of 4

      2- Hold that breathe to the count of 7

      3- Breathe out through your mouth to the count of 8

      When you breathe in just focus on your breath breathing in calmness, love and relaxation.

      When holding your breath just visualise this calmness, love and relaxation flowing through your mind and body.

      Finally when breathing out imagine you are blowing out through a straw all the while releasing any tension, fears and worries.

      Notice and feel how you begin to relax and calm down just by using this simple conscious breathing technique.

      This will allow you to begin to breathe normally again.

      3 numbers: 4-7-8.

      Amazingly simple,right?

      Further information can be found at http://anxietyclinicdublin.com or feel free to contact me at anxietyclinic@dublin.com

    • 10 things stopping you being awesome

      Awesome
      1. Stop worrying about what others think of you, as they probably too consumed with worrying about the same thing.
      2. Spinning too many plates. Stop. No one can do it all by themselves, start delegating or outsourcing to free up time.
      3. Hate your job? Do something about it as it won’t change itself.
      4. Too many energy vampires in your life? Ditch them, spend more time with those who help and motivate you.
      5. Lacking motivation, no.4 above will help, then set a small manageable goal and build from there.
      6. No direction? Like motivation it’s time to plan what you want in life and set goals.
      7. Putting other’s happiness before your own? Time to be positively selfish and let the happiness in for yourself first.
      8. It’s not your fault? Maybe so but don’t let circumstances dictate your life take responsibility and you’ll feel better.
      9. Ditch the comparison trap, focus on what you already have how more awesome you can be for you and others.
      10. Stop living in the past or too far into the future. We all only have this present moment. Make it count.

      Feel free to contact me for further information.

      David Mcallister

      Contact

    • Now you come to mention it Yes I am stressed and anxious.

      Anxiety Stressed

      Stress and anxiety are in my experience involved in a great many of the causes for clients coming for hypnotherapy.

      People looking for hypnotherapy may present with an issue such as smoking or weight loss however I see stress and anxiety as an underlying cause and can lead to many problems if ignored.

      Relaxation exercises, and other stress management techniques can be very useful in overcoming stress and anxiety caused by everyday life. So much so I utilise these frequently.

      Due to a variety of socio-economic conditions, stress and anxiety have now become more widely recognised by both individuals and employers. Globally thousands of work days are lost to these conditions .

      In addition there is great personal anxiety which can lead to relationship tension , depression, panic attacks and many other problems.

      Effective stress and anxiety management means not just dealing with the presenting stress and anxiety but to also help to avoid reaching high stress and anxiety levels in the first place. Hypnosis can help by:


      >Creating an understanding about the reasons and factors underlying stress and anxiety.

      > Teaching relaxation techniques so you can develop new ways to relax naturally and easily.


      >Reframing thinking to help with panic attacks, anxiety and fears.

      Remember stress and anxiety can cause problems in very clever and unhelpful ways. But it doesn’t have to be like this, even if you don’t think you have choices- you do.

      We might not be able to avoid stress and anxiety and indeed we all need a little edge to keep us alive but let’s take action before it gets too much to handle.

      Stay safe and for any further information please feel free to contact me:

      Contact

    • Anxiety management and mindfulness

      1st year nursing students anxiety management and mindfulness

      A big thank you to the 1st year nursing students for being a wonderful audience over the last few weeks.

      Keep up the good work and remember to use the little techniques I showed you to stay mindful:

      478 breathing, 54321 grounding, H-P-F and many more.

      Really enjoyed your company and I wish you well for the future.

      Feel free to contact me if you need any further information

      David McAllister BSc(Hons),Dip App S.S.,ADCHP, MCHPA

    • Stanford professor reveals the science behind ‘Zoom fatigue’

      Constant Zoom calls are tiring and science has been looking at why (Credits: Getty Images/iStockphoto) A new scientific study has backed up the …

      Stanford professor reveals the science behind ‘Zoom fatigue’

      This is a fair assessment, as a medium video conferencing has its place in the world. However its use has gone beyond its original scope. Put it this way it’s like a sofa bed , which was good to be used on occasions but now has to masquerade as a queen sized four poster with an ergonomic designed mattress.

    • Poll: Has the pandemic affected your mental health? · TheJournal.ie

      The Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on many people.
      — Read on www.thejournal.ie/mental-health-covid-19-2-5176991-Aug2020/

      Nearly 60 % of people surveyed said their mental health has been affected during this pandemic.

      It doesn’t all have to be like this.

      Let’s do something together to change this affect.

      This is a global phenomenon so no one should be left behind.

      So if you’re one of the 60% or not sure how you feel then take action now.

      There is no need to suffer alone people like me are here to help so get the help you need.

    • Embrace the fear and do it anyway

      Fear is okay

      Bertrand Russell , a hard read, but worth it.

    • In these unprecedented times…

      Photo by Clearview Counselling on March 14, 2020.
      In these unprecedented times (sounds dramatic but they are) we all need to be mindful of where our heads are at.

      This is a nice graphic, I like it as it’s simple.
      Obviously managing anxiety on top of the current corona virus pandemic is challenging. But taking care of our  mental health has never been so important.
      So hopefully this graphic can help focus our minds.
      Please seek the necessary anxiety management for your needs if you require it as, like me,I’m sure most anxiety management specialists can facilitate video interfaces.
      I personally use VSee and Zoom so take care of yourself and if you require any further information you can find it at: http://www.anxietyclinicdublin.com
      You can also feel free to contact me at: anxietyclinc@dublin.com
      Kind regards
      David McAllister BSc(Hons)

       

    • Steep rise in rates of anxiety and depression among young Irish Times Article

      Steep rise in rates of anxiety and depression among young

      Mental health study captured the views of more than 19,000 Irish young people

      Carl O’Brien Education Editor
      22 per cent of adolescents surveyed reported severe anxiety. File photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto

      22 per cent of adolescents surveyed reported severe anxiety. File photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto

      Rates of anxiety and depression are on the rise among young people, according to the largest ever study of mental health among Irish teenagers and young adults.

      The research, which captures the views of more than 19,000 young people aged between 12 and 25 years, also finds that teenagers who spend three hours or more online daily are more likely to be miss out on sleep and have higher rates of anxiety and depression.

      The study was carried out by the UCD school of psychology and funded by Jigsaw, the national youth mental health service, and follows up on a similar study carried out in 2012.

       

      It finds that since the last study the proportion of adolescents (12-18s ) reporting severe anxiety has doubled to 22 per cent, while levels of severe anxiety in young adults (18-25s ) have increased from 15 per cent to 26 per cent.

      Levels of self-harm are significant across the adolescent and young adult age groups, with two in every five young adults having self-harmed.

      On a positive note, numbers of young people drinking alcohol, being bullied in school and stressing about finances have dropped.

      The study found there has been a drop in levels of self-esteem, optimism and life satisfaction, but the number of those getting help from supportive adults in their lives has increased.

      While the amount of time spent online is a concern for some young people, the research also notes that young people are predominantly using social media to enhance and continue friendships and relationships that they have made offline.

    • Who’s responsible anyway?

       

       

      close up photo of left hand
      Photo by Dids on Pexels.com

      You may have heard this story before but indulge me as it’s important and relevant to all our lives. I have a copy of this on my office wall. Only through our own actions will we change our lives:

      This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.  There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.  Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.  Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job.  Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.  It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.

    • Freedom from Anxiety Journey

      What’s the most common route to dealing with your anxiety?

      GP?

      Medication?

      Counselling?

      CBT?

      Sometimes these interventions work which is great as you will not need to wait to see me however more often and not these don’t work. I know this as this is the route many people take before contacting me.

      But that’s okay as you are now taking action and just because these interventions didn’t work this has nothing to do with my therapy.

      Ask yourself this this question. How is my anxiety going to go away?

      Seriously ask yourself, do you expect the things that didn’t work before to somehow work now?

      Really focus on this as you now have a choice:

      A: Continue doing what you are doing and hope for the best

      OR

      B: Contact me

      We all need a plan B so if you have anxiety

      contact me and I’ll show you how to retrain your mind so that can take control of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

      However only contact me if you really want to smash your anxiety and live the life you deserve.

      Change is a lot easier that you might think.

      Contact me today on:

      www.anxietyclinicdublin.com

      email: anxietyclinic@dublin.com

      085 843 5939

      person standing on road
      Photo by Adil Gökkaya on Pexels.com

    • How you can stop feeling self conscious

      One of the most common signs of anxiety is self consciousness. It’s not unusual for people to think that  others are talking about them or feel negatively towards them.This “what will people think” mindset causes much anxiety.

      Am I self conscious?

      This can Result in paranoia  and is almost certainly only “in the mind” of the person who experiences it. The idea that they are in the forefront of someone else’s mind is simply not true. In the same way we are in our own little bubble thinking about ourselves, they are doing the same. We are not in other people’s thinking as much as we like to think.

      When you are anxious  you look for clues to validate your  belief that people are secretly talking about you behind your back or thinking bad about you. You become a “mind reader” where you actually think you know what other people are thinking about you. In reality people aren’t walking around thinking about you.

      Tips on how to stop feeling self conscious

      It’s funny when you mind read though, you never think that they think anything nice about you! It’s always negative. Yet if you really could read minds you would be rich, you’d be on TV you’d be a celebrity. Are you any of these things? No. So you can’t read minds so it’s just paranoid thinking then.

      So whenever you try to “read people’s minds” there’s usually only 1 outcome. You will think something negative. It’s rare you will ever think “they think I’m great”. Let’s face it not everyone will like us in life. Do you like everyone you meet? No. If people like us that’s great if they don’t well that’s their loss.This is key to how to stop feeling self conscious.

      Please absorb this!

      You weren’t put here to please people, if they don’t like your personality it’s fine. You don’t like everyone’s personality either. It works both ways. Some people will like you some won’t. It’s the way it’s always been. So when you accept this it creates peace. It gives you closure. You stop bending your personality to try to please people. They aren’t bending to please you. All you do is lose yourself when you try to please everyone.

      It’s time to take back control of your thoughts and feelings.

      If you need one to one help to combat the above you can call me on:

      085 843 5939

      anxietyclinic@dublin.com

      best wishes

      David