#51: The Anxiety edition

#51: The Anxiety edition 

 
Like the majority of Power Up readers, here in the Netherlands we’re now into our fourth month of ‘hard’ lockdown – with no end in sight. 

This, I don’t need to tell you, is after more than a year now of on-off lockdowns and general heavy restrictions on life as we used to know it. So it goes without saying that we can’t wait for it to end. 

But I would be lying if I told you I don’t have anxiety about how life will be when things begin to open up again.

I’ve grown accustomed to maintaining social distance from other shoppers in supermarkets; I’ve avoided crowded spaces; On the rare occasion we did venture to a restaurant last summer, the venue was understandably over diligent in their enforcement of safety protocols; I count myself lucky to still have a full-time job, and my employer has put zero pressure on us to visit the office in more than a year now. And, you know, I feel very secure in the bubble my partner and I have created for ourselves. 

For the most part I never have to think about how thorough the cleaning has been in a cafe, store or office I’m visiting; I’m rarely (not never) confronted with other citizens acting as though there has never been a pandemic at all with their disregard for masks, distancing and who knows what else; I haven’t had party or event invitations that I’ve had to overthink for hours whether the pleasure & benefit I’ll get from attending can possibly outweigh the risks and anxiety…

… I’ll stop there, because the goal of this newsletter is absolutely not to make you anxious as well! – but rather to explore the topic of anxiety and provide you with tools and resources to help you if and when it arises in the coming weeks and months.
 

In this week’s issue:  

//  Nervous about socialising? How to handle the end of lockdown

//  Rewiring the anxious brain: Neuroplasticity & the Anxiety Cycle 

// Is the way you breathe making you anxious?

//  How the pandemic has made Social Anxiety worse for many of us

//  Our anxiety hides in our habits. Here’s how to replace them
// 10 recommended quotes & truths to read if you experience anxiety
 

Plus the usual array of bonus content too…

Whatever is causing anxiety in your life, I hope the content and resources below are a great help to you.  
 

Final thought: A word from Jordan Brown of the Mental Health Update

 A big thank you to Adam for letting me connect with you. 

I’m Jordan Brown, and I’m a former social worker and current chief operating officer of a web design and SEO agency in Missoula, Montana serving home-service businesses (hard-working folks like electricians, plumbers, pressure washers, carpet cleaners, etc.)

I’ve lived with–and overcome–anxiety, OCD, and depression, and I’ve worked both inside and outside the mental health system. 

After years of reading the same old, stale, technical, doom-and-gloom articles about mental health, I decided to do something about it. 

I’ve been writing about mental health online since 2016, and I created my most recent mental health initiative, The Mental Health Update, at the end of 2019 to provide relatable and actionable mental health resources.

The Mental Health Update is a weekly email newsletter of 850+ subscribers that makes mental health information meaningful and accessible.

It’s two weekly articles sent straight to your inbox Monday and Wednesday, packed with timeless mental health wisdom and inspiration to start your day in a thoughtful, uplifting way. 

In about 5 minutes twice a week, you’ll come away with a better understanding of your mental health and how you can use it to improve your relationships, your mindset, and your life in general.

View 300+ past issues and sign up here.

 You can also connect with me directly by saying hello on Twitter 

@jpbrown5