Wednesday Wellness

This is very appropriate after coming through the past few weeks of Hurricane Helene and the cleanup efforts.    Anxiety is “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure” (American Psychology Association).   There are many levels of anxiety from simply feeling restless or on edge and irritable; to sleep disturbances to panic attacks and the events of this time have triggered some of these in most of us.

If you are having severe levels of anxiety, you should always seek professional assistance.   There are ways to mitigate these feelings naturally as well.   Exercise, reducing caffeine, meditation, avoiding alcohol, eating a healthy diet, deep breathing, journaling, and using grounding techniques.

The 5 senses grounding practice by finding a comfortable place to sit or lie down and take several slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.   Then using your senses – locate 5 things that you can see around you; 4 things that you can touch around you, 3 things that you can hear around you, 2 things that you can smell around you and 1 thing that you can taste (maybe you have had something to eat or drink recently or something nearby).   See how you feel after this practice.

These times will become a memory soon and we will go back to our normal routines but these techniques can be used at any time.

Stay well!

Regards,

Terry Richards, CFO