WellBeing

Rewire for calm

According to Beyond Blue, one in four Australians experience anxiety at some stage of life. As someone who has experienced anxiety, I know that when you’re in the grip of anxiety it can feel like you will never get on top of your life or mindset.

Anxiety can feel incredibly isolating and overwhelming. The thoughts that drive anxiety often undermine what you believe you are capable of. Anxiety can limit what you do and achieve, “shrinking” your life and what you believe is possible.

Now that I’ve come through the other side of anxiety, I know it’s possible to overcome and manage it by understanding the basics of neuroscience. By using brain-based strategies you can rewire your brain for greater calm, clarity and control.

The anxious brain

When you become anxious, your brain is only doing what it’s designed to do, which is to keep you safe and alive in the face of perceived danger. The brain has an incredible inbuilt system that kicks in when it registers danger, known as the fight-or-flight response.

Your body’s fight-or-flight response is your “survival mode” and is driven by the emotional part of your brain, your amygdala. When your amygdala perceives a threat it activates your fight-or-flight response, causing a

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