Anxiety and Stress

Lots of people experience strong feelings of overwhelming apprehension, worry, distress, or fear at some point in their life, especially when we think about things that are going to happen or that could happen in the future.

It's important to remember that anxiety is a natural human response when we feel under threat. For the caveman that threat was sabertooth tigers but in modern society the stress from work and changes that have a significant impact on our lives are the threats.

Anxiety can take over and you can find it hard to get on with everyday life. You may find ourselves trying to avoid situations that might cause us to feel anxious or that your fears or worries are out of proportion to the situation and you feel out of control.

Self Esteem/Self Belief

Our self-esteem often begins in childhood. Our teachers, friends, siblings, parents, and even the media send us positive and negative messages about ourselves. We hold on to these and they can form part of what we believe about ourselves.

Sometimes a significant event such as bereavement or loss can trigger low esteem and leaves us feeling that we are not good enough and lose trust in our own abilities.

When we have healthy self-esteem, we tend to feel positive about ourselves and about life in general. It makes us better able to deal with life's ups and downs. But when your self esteem and confidence is low you see yourself and your life in a negative way and become our own worst critic. If you have low self-esteem you may find you are avoiding challenges, not trying new things or avoiding social situations because your inner voice is giving you negative messages.

Loss and Grief

Losing someone important to us can be emotionally devastating whether it is a partner, family member, friend or pet. It affects everyone in different ways and the way we process grief can be different. There is no right or wrong way to feel when we are grieving, we will feel a range of emotions while we slowly come to terms and adjust to the loss. We can also experiences loss and grief when a relationship ends, children leave home, move house or area.

Low Mood/Depression

During our lives situations and circumstances will leave us feeling a deep sense of sadness and lacking in motivation. These feelings often pass after a few days, but sometimes it feels harder to pick yourself up and try again. Instead we can find ourselves feeling disconnected with the world and others, constantly fatigued and struggling to complete the smallest of tasks. Low mood and depression can stop you from forming relationships, enjoying life and planning for your future.