Insights

It is human nature to have anxious thoughts. We’ve all experienced moments where we feel stuck in a rut of negative feelings and emotions. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia, being more prevalent than ever before. I am aware that for many their only relief is pharmeceutical medications. However, I wanted to share some ways I manage moments of anxiousness that come into my life. I really love the image that Gabor Maté speaks of when he talks about anxiety. He says that if a gardener noticed his plants weren’t well, he would look at the soil and the nature. We need to do the same with humans.

I am constantly talking about gut health, but it truely is at the centre of our mental and physical health. I live a very fast pace life, travelling a lot, working late hours with early call times. A lack of sleep, stress and other factors have been hurdles I’ve had to overcome. I’ve experienced first hand their impact on my gut even with a healthy diet and adequate supplement regime. I wanted to share what disruptors may be impacting your gut health. Sometimes it’s about more than just what you put in your body.

In the western world, it has become the norm to run at 100 miles an hour all the time! I am guilty of living this way for the majority of my 20s. I have always tried to squeeze the maximum output in a day, running around on empty, neglecting all the signs to slow down. Stress is inevitable in anyones life, it is natural, and part of being human. Our body is incredible and was built in a way to best survive when in danger. When we feel stress it affects the sympathetic nervous system and prepares the body to fight any perceived threat. However, our bodies are not meant to feel stress as often as we do. It is unlikely that we are being chased by a lion or a bear, however our body reacts in the same way from a stressful email from a colleague or a triggering post on social media. With this in mind, it is so important that we prioritise our mental health. We need to be able to shift our narrative and not let our thoughts take over the show. An effective way to boost your mental health and manage stress is by incorporating self-care into your weekly schedule.