Page 10 Healthy Cells Magazine Peoria June 2014

Eat well-balanced meals. Do not skip meals; keep healthful,

energy-boosting snacks on hand.
Limit alcohol and caffeine, Aggravates anxiety
Get enough sleep. When stressed, your body needs additional
sleep and rest.
Exercise daily. Helps you feel good and maintains your health.
Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly.
Count to 10 slowly. Repeat, and count to 20 if necessary.
Do your best. Dont aim for perfection, which isn't possible, be
proud of how close you get.
Accept that you cannot control everything. Put your stress in
perspective: Is it really as bad as you think?
Welcome humor. A good laugh goes a long way.
Maintain a positive attitude. Replace negative thoughts with
positive ones.
Anxiety
Bonnie Harken, Founder and CEO, Crossroads Programs for Women
emotional
A
nxiety is a normal human emotion that everyone experiences at
times. Many people feel anxious, or nervous, when faced with
a problem or making an important decision. Anxiety disorders,
however, are different. They can cause such distress that it interferes
with a person's ability to lead a normal life. Lets look at two types of
anxiety disorders:
Social Anxiety Disorder is the extreme fear of being scrutinized and
judged by others in social or performance situations. It is not simply shy-
ness. People with this disorder may have few or no social or romantic
relationships, making them feel powerless, alone, or even ashamed.
About 15 million American adults have social anxiety disorder
Typical age of onset: 13 years old
36 percent of people with social anxiety disorder report symptoms for
10 or more years before seeking help
Usually begins in childhood or adolescence
Although they recognize that the fear is excessive and unreason-
able, people with this disorder feel powerless against their anxiety. They
are terrified they will humiliate or embarrass themselves.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is persistent, excessive, and unrealis-
tic worry about everyday things, often expecting the worst, even when
there is no apparent reason for concern. Sufferers anticipate disaster
and are overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other
issues. They dont know how to stop the worry cycle even though
they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation
warrants.
Affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1 percent of the U.S. population, in
any given year
Women are twice as likely to be affected
Disorder comes on gradually and can begin across the life cycle,
though the risk is highest between childhood and middle age
Although the exact cause is unknown, there is evidence that bio-
logical factors, family background, and life experiences, particularly
stressful ones, play a role.
If you suffer from anxiety, research suggests that you may run a
higher risk of experiencing physical health problems. In the past 30
years, there has been considerable interest in the relaxation response
and how inducing this state may benefit health. Currently, there is some
evidence that relaxation techniques may be an effective part of an over-
all treatment plan to relieve anxiety.
Women who use yoga to relax during pregnancy reduce their risk of
developing anxiety and depression. Stress during pregnancy has been
linked to premature birth, low birth weight, and increased developmental
and behavioral problems in children. A University of Manchester research
study shows that women who attend one yoga class a week for eight
weeks had decreased anxiety scores compared to those who received
normal antenatal treatment. A single session of yoga was found to
reduce anxiety by one-third and stress hormone levels by 14 percent.
Coping Strategies for Stress and Anxiety
Take a timeout. Practice yoga, listen to music, meditate, get a mas-
sage, or learn relaxation techniques.
June 2014 Peoria Healthy Cells Magazine Page 11
Get involved. Volunteer or find another way to be active in
your community creating a support network and a break from
everyday stress.
Learn what triggers your anxiety. Is it work, family, school, or
something else you can identify? Write in a journal when youre
feeling stressed or anxious, and look for a pattern.
Talk to someone. Tell friends and family youre feeling over-
whelmed. Let them know how they can help you. Talk to a thera-
pist for professional help.
For some, medications are a necessary part of treatment. Most
people with anxiety who seek treatment, experience significant
improvement and enjoy an improved quality of life.
Bonnie Harken, Founder and CEO of Crossroads Programs for
Women has spent the last 30 years assisting individuals begin their
journey of healing. Look for upcoming programs at Crossroads Pro-
grams for Women in Pekin. Begin your journey of finding renewal,
hope, joy, direction, and passion. Each program is a blend of lec-
tures, group discussion, and therapeutic exercises offering a healing
curriculum. We explore the spiritual components of healing from a
non-denominational Christian perspective. Why continue to struggle?
Tomorrow does not have to be like today. We can help you. Visit
www.crossroadsprogramsforwomen.com or call 1-800-348-0937.
Sources available upon request.
Photo credit: BananaStock/Thinkstock
The world needs some quiet
thoughtful, introspective people. But
there are people who arent happy
about being shy. They find it prevents
them from expressing themselves,
from making friends, and from enjoy-
ing life to its fullest. For some people,
shyness is a cocoon. Its safe and
warm and quiet. But it can also be
confining, dark and lonely.
Triumph over Shyness: Conquering
Social Anxiety Disorder