I was trawling online on a quiet day and read that according to Google reports, searches for the word ‘anxiety’ have absolutely skyrocketed since the start of COVID-19.
(Just for your reference some of the other trending words over the last few weeks have included ‘self distancing’, ‘dog coronavirus’, ‘cancel trip’ and ‘beards’ – who would have thought?)
‘Anxiety’ has always been a key search word across all search engines. Economist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz said that over the past eight years, the Google searches for ‘anxiety’ has doubled.
Stephens-Davidowiz went on to explain that Australians make more searches on, “looking for help with anxiety”, than anyone else in the world! And is it really a surprise?
The world is changing so fast it can sometimes be impossible to keep up. Our days are packed with increasing demands, split attention, less face-to-face interaction and constant bombardment of social media. All of this gives us a distorted view of how life should be while also being subjected to constant streams of negative news stories.
But I feel calm! Aren’t I? AM I?!
Let’s take a quick step back for a minute and try a bit of self analysis.
To better understand where your level of calm lies (or not) – let’s try this test. Give yourself a 1 for every ‘Yep’ and 0 for every ’Nope!’
If you can’t choose, you can give yourself a half point if it falls somewhere in the middle. Remember to be honest with yourself.
Let’s Begin:
1) I find it hard to wind down.
2) I worry a lot.
3) I tend to overreact to situations.
4) I don’t make time in my life to relax.
5) I have difficulty sleeping because of my thoughts.
6) I often think worst-case scenario in situations.
7) I am a perfectionist.
8) I compare myself to other people a lot.
9) I get impatient easily.
10) I sometimes have difficulty breathing (even when I’m not exercising).
11) I feel scared or nervous without any good reason.
12) I find it hard to relax.
13) I am suffering from a diagnosed mental illness.
14) I work excessive hours and can’t switch off.
15) I have a lot of disagreements/arguments with others.
16) I feel constantly stressed.
17) I feel like my life isn’t as good as other people’s lives.
18) I sometimes feel close to panic.
19) I use a lot of nervous energy.
20) Sometimes I feel shaky for no reason.
How do your results stack up?
If you scored ‘Yep’ to more than five of the above questions, it’s highly likely you need to bring some more chill into your days.
To help get your started, listen to this easy to follow audio and try some mindful breathing…
If you continue to feel like that chill isn’t setting in, at ProMind Psychology we can provide you with the support and practical strategies to help you find your way back to the calm farm.
Karen Stevens
Principal Psychologist
More Recent Posts
