What is therapy for?

I've put together a short list of some of the challenges I've come to enjoy working with.

Anxiety

Constant worrying about the future, ruminating on a vague sense of something being wrong, never quite finding a sense of peace...

These can all be symptoms of anxiety, and we may never be able to completely banish them from our life, we can definitely increase our control over how loud or intrusive these thoughts can be,

Stress

An endless list of things that never get done, always reacting to sudden tasks, constantly pushing yourself to get everything done.

These are signs of having too much stress going on. We all need a little bit of stress to motivate us, and it's important to know how to measure your stress and have strategies to keep yourself grounded in everyday life.

What's the difference?

I love exploring this question with people. Stress & anxiety can seem pretty similar, and they certainly can feel similar.

I suggest that stress arises from a task that is hypothetically achievable, and that once the task is done, the stress would more or less go away. Anxiety often doesn't have a clear focus, it's nebulous, and there's rarely a realistic course of action that would resolve anxiety.

This really matters when it comes to managing these two feelings. Stress often requires some planning, prioritising and action. Anxiety is usually best managed by calming yourself and trying not to fixate on it.

Being able to tell them apart and use the right strategies is a valuable skill!

Managing ADHD