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What should I do when GAD symptoms flare up? · Wellbeing Solutions - Ask A Counsellor

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  SPEAKER_00: Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent and uncontrollable worry about multiple areas of life.
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  SPEAKER_00: While anxiety is a normal human response, it can become problematic when it is constant, overwhelming, and begins to interfere with your daily functioning.
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  SPEAKER_00: Common symptoms include fatigue, poor concentration, muscle tension, restlessness, and irritability.
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  SPEAKER_00: The idea behind self-management is not to remove your anxiety completely, but to reduce its intensity, improve how you cope with it, and prevent your anxiety from completely taking over your day.
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  SPEAKER_00: Managing anxiety often involves a combination of practical coping strategies and healthy lifestyle habits.
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  SPEAKER_00: Breathing exercises can help calm the body's stress response.
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  SPEAKER_00: Techniques such as box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing can help reduce physical symptoms of anxiety and create a sense of control during moments of distress.
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  SPEAKER_00: However, caution should be taken with some breathing exercises, and they may not be suitable for everyone, particularly those with certain respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, so they should be used with care.
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  SPEAKER_00: If you feel breathless or lightheaded, stop immediately and seek help, and you may find that grounding techniques are more appropriate for you.
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  SPEAKER_00: Grounding techniques are designed to shift attention away from anxious thoughts and bring you back to the present moment.
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  SPEAKER_00: One example is the stop technique.
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  SPEAKER_00: This technique encourages a pause before reacting automatically to your anxiety.
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  SPEAKER_00: The S stands for stop, the T for take a breath, the O for observe your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, the first P for pull back and gain perspective, and the final P for proceed with a more balanced or helpful response.
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  SPEAKER_00: The aim is to interrupt the cycle of worry and create space to respond more calmly rather than react impulsively.
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  SPEAKER_00: Another grinding exercise is called the five senses.
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  SPEAKER_00: This method helps reconnect you with your immediate environment by focusing attention on sensory experiences.
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  SPEAKER_00: A common version involves identifying five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
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  SPEAKER_00: This can reduce feelings of overwhelm by anchoring attention in the present rather than in anxious predictions about the future.
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  SPEAKER_00: Practicing these techniques regularly, not only during periods of high anxiety, can make them more familiar and easier to use during flare-ups.
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  SPEAKER_00: Other helpful strategies may include sensory-based coping tools such as splashing your face with cold water, holding onto ice cubes, eating sour sweets or using a weighted blanket.
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  SPEAKER_00: These provide strong physical sensations that redirect attention away from spiraling thoughts and help regulate emotions.
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  SPEAKER_00: Another strategy involves managing your what-if thoughts.
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  SPEAKER_00: Instead of trying to suppress your worries, it can help to acknowledge them and set aside a specific worry time each day.
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  SPEAKER_00: This can reduce the tendency for worry to dominate your entire day.
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  SPEAKER_00: Making sure you get regular sleep, have a balanced diet, partake in regular physical activity, and limit your caffeine and alcohol intake can also improve overall emotional regulation and reduce physical symptoms of anxiety.
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  SPEAKER_00: Through journaling and writing down your worries, your triggers, and any emotional patterns can increase your self-awareness, help you identify common themes, and help you recognise early signs of escalating anxiety.
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  SPEAKER_00: Creating a personal plan for your flare-ups using the above techniques and identifying support contacts could be a helpful place to start.
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  SPEAKER_00: Have a look at our app for further resources regarding anxiety.
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  SPEAKER_00: However, if symptoms persist, do seek support from your GP or counselling services.
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  SPEAKER_00: If you were thinking about harming yourself or feel unsafe, please seek urgent crisis support through a helpline or local emergency service.