Mental Health

Every year, around one in seven Australians experience anxiety in a way that makes it difficult to cope with daily life. ¹ Ranging in severity from a background level of worry to an overpowering force, anxiety can lead to difficulty sleeping, a racing heart, panic attacks, fatigue, digestive upset, sweating or headaches – interfering with your ability to live your life. 

Think back to the last time you injured yourself. Perhaps you fell over and hurt your knee, or sprained your ankle playing sport. Along with the pain, you can probably recall how swollen, red and hot the area became. These changes were a sign of your body’s protective inflammatory response springing into action.

Your heart races. Your breathing becomes quick and shallow. You feel alert and slightly anxious; your palms are sweaty and your muscles tense. This is your body getting you ready to run, or even fight, for your life. Are you a cave dweller facing down a growling, ravenous lion, armed with only a spear and your wits? No, you are a modern human, sitting at a desk, fingers flying over your keyboard as you race to meet a deadline. So why does your body respond as though your survival is at stake?

If you’ve ever experienced anxiety, you are likely to be a little more than familiar with the words above. However, if you’re one of the lucky ones who hasn’t experience anxiety, then chances are you live, work and/or socialise with someone who has.

Does this sound familiar – you’ve just found an awesome event while scrolling through Facebook, texting your friends, sharing your day on Instagram, checking your emails and binge watching your favourite new TV show? We can’t refute it, digital technology and social media have firmly cemented their places in each of our modern lives.

Which best describes your day? Is it busy but everything goes smoothly and you respond positively to whatever challenges arise – or does it feel more like everything is a frantic juggle and you literally cannot take on board a single additional thing? The difference in how a day can feel has much to do with how resilient you are to life’s stressors, because it is your degree of resilience that helps you adapt to an ever-changing environment.