 The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has seen a rise in cases of anxiety and other mental health problems throughout the world. In the US alone, there was a 19% increase in reported clinical anxiety in February and another 12% increase in March, according to Mental Health America.
In Australia, during a study which surveyed 1,200 people regarding their mental health, 30% of the sample set showed moderate to high anxiety levels, ABC News recently reported. Anxiety can lead to physical manifestations that can further cripple and worry a person, more so during the pandemic and the uncertainty of having a ‘normal’ life. These physical symptoms include having headaches and migraines - a prevalent reality for some 284 million people around the world (as of 2017), aside from restless fidgeting and inability to relax. While we recommend that you talk to a mental health professional to help you manage your condition, we at Ballarat and District Chiropractic Centre can help you deal with your anxiety-induced headaches. If you cannot go out of your home - and we understand that, given the extraordinary times we are living in - here are some suggestions to manage your headaches at home. 1. Take a Break Are you constantly looking at your social media profile and scrolling through the news and reading what people are feeling during the pandemic? Put down the phone and take a break. It’s important to stay updated with what’s going in the world but when it becomes too much to be connected, take a step back and try to do something else - such as reading, cooking or picking up a new hobby. 2. Get Some Sleep It’s difficult for others to sleep during this time, knowing that we cannot look forward to a more certain future. However, getting at least seven to eight hours of restful sleep a night can help manage your anxiety headaches. Visiting a chiropractor in Ballarat, such as Ballarat and District Chiropractic, can help you get better sleep. Regular chiropractic care may help improve sleeping patterns. 3. Do Simple Exercises Whether you’re working from home or still going to the office, you’ll feel some strain on the upper part of your body at some point. Stretching your neck, back and shoulders can alleviate headaches, especially if you’re working in front of a computer. You can also take a walk after an hour or so around your home to rest your eyes. 4. Try Alternative Methods Healing modalities such as chiropractic treatments for headaches are extremely helpful and can complement any medication your GP may prescribe you. You can visit a chiropractor for headache relief. People living with anxiety can often feel muscle stiffness along with chronic headaches and migraines so chiropractic care is one way to provide relief to these physical pains. Ballarat and District Chiropractic Centre have a team of chiropractors who excel at headache relief. We understand that headaches are common but are not normal. You may book appointments with us via phone call at 03 5333 7830 or on our website.
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 With so much change and uncertainty in the world at the moment, it is easy to fall into a pessimistic mindset, focussing on what we are missing and don’t have (like the ability to socalise with friends or play sport). Our brains are wired to look for the threats and dangers in any given situation, making it easy to catastrophise and imagine worst case scenarios. With being in isolation at the moment, we all have a lot more time to think, and this can exacerbate this phenomenon.
So something that can help to break the downward spiral of your thoughts is gratitude. Flipping the narrative and thinking about what you do have, what you are grateful for, and what opportunities you have been able to have, that you would not if the world had continued as ‘normal’. Being grateful is something that is usually easier said than done. Our thoughts will naturally turn to the negative, so when you are starting out, it can be tricky to find what you are grateful for. Like anything, it takes practice, and no-one is a natural the first time around! There are so many strategies that you can implement to help you show gratitude. Keep it simple and find what works for you. This may be a hard task, so if you are finding it difficult, start small and make it easier on yourself.
Gratitude is more than just being optimistic or looking on the bright side. It is looking at what you have worked hard for, what you have achieved, how much you have in your life. Even if at first you think there is nothing, when you start to look a little deeper there is usually much more than you expect. It is easy to get caught up in the negatives, what you don’t have and what you can’t do, that it can be tricky to appreciate what you can do. Be thankful for what is in your life right now, even if it is a bit challenging, and look forward to everything coming your way in the future. Try it out, if nothing else your brain will thank you for it! |