| Helpline: 0300 7729844 Youth Helpline: 0330 606 1174 Crisis Line: 01952 680835 | | |
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National Organisation for Phobias, Anxiety Neuroses, Information & Care |
December Support Email From No Panic |
Dear Friend Hello and welcome to the No Panic Monthly Support Email.December is now upon us and we have lots of things planned for the month ahead, including a great book giveaway. So don't forget to follow us on social media to be in with a chance to win one of these fantastic books:Overcoming Panic and Anxiety Related Disorders By Margaret Hawkins Panic Attacks 5 Steps to Freedom By Lorraine maison Coping with OCD By Professor Kevin Gournay And a signed copy of the DVD & Book Set The Key to Upgrading Your Life By Nik & Eva Speakman. If you would you like to become a member of No Panic, it couldn't be easier. You will receive our extended monthly 'Members Support Email' with articles and advice on many kinds of anxiety. You will also have full access to our support services, our befriending groups and coffee afternoons/evenings. On signing up you would also gain free access to our members only Facebook Group where we share daily advice on anxiety issues as well as replying to any questions you may have. You would also be able to join us on a Monday evening for our virtual support chat, receive a free copy of the Extended Beginner's Guide to anxiety and a No Panic wristband will also be sent to you. Find out more.Here at the charity, we work hard to bring you a huge range of support, as much information as possible and meet as many of your needs as we can. But are we missing anything? Is there anything else you would like to see from us? If so, please get in touch and let us know. Wishing you a peaceful and anxiety free December
Kind Wishes Sarah xx |
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WHILE FUNDRAISING This Christmas, please help support No Panic by shopping online using EasyFundraising. Click on the link below and donate to our charity while you do your Christmas shopping, it won’t cost you a penny extra! Use easyfundraising to shop with over 3,600 retailers including Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com, eBay, Boden, and M&S… Every time you shop, you’ll raise a free donation for No panic, it’s that easy!Find out more: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/nopanic/ .Thank you. 😊 Or maybe you use Amazon when shopping online? If yes, please could you consider using the following link to donate to No Panic at no extra cost to you at all:
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Top Tips To Improve Your 'Winter' Mood As we reach the shortest day of the year, some people tend to find their anxiety heightens. Research has proven that this can be due to light sensitivity. Which makes sense as there are less daylight hours. So if you are someone that feels more anxious or a bit down as the year draws to an end, what can you do to help yourself? 1. GET OUTSIDE: It is very important to make the effort to venture out as much as possible. Wrap up warm if needs be but take the plunge. 2. EAT WELL: A healthy diet will boost your mood and give you more energy. Don't be tempted with 'comfort foods'. 3. EXERCISE: Staying active is very important as it is a fact that Exercise reduces anxiety. When we exercise our body releases endorphins, otherwise known as 'the feel good hormone'. 4. STAY OCCUPIED: Make the most of the long evenings by taking up a new hobby. Whether it be in the comfort of your own home or joining a group somewhere else. Keeping your mind occupied with something new is a great way to ward off rumination. 5. COMMUNICATE: Don't keep unhappiness locked away. 'A problem shared,is a problem halved'. Talk about how you feel either with friends and family. 6. ENJOY YOURSELF: Doing things you really like is a good way to boost your mood at the same time taking care of your emotional wellbeing. 7. SET SOME GOALS: Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, motivates the mind and gives us something positive to look forward to. Check out our top tips here: GOAL SETTING TIPS You can use this GOAL SETTING PLANNER to get you started.
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Coping with The Festive Season Christmas and the New Year can be a stressful time of the year even for the calmest of people. So what can you do to keep anxiety and panic at bay? Make listsThere is always so much to think about at this time of the year so write things down. Whether it’s the shopping you need, a 'to do’ list or just a 'don’t forget' note, put it down on paper or in a notebook. This will firstly help you to organize your time. It will also help clear your head from clutter and give you an easy way to prioritize tasks. Find out more...Sleep/restLack of sleep will only stress the body and make you feel tired and unable to cope. So even if you have the urge to stay up later and party, try to be reasonable. If you have a late-night, try to get a small lie in or have a nap the following day to catch up. Take a look at our top tips to get a better night: https://nopanic.org.uk/sleep-anxiety/Stay hydratedAlcohol may ease your anxiety for a while but consuming too much and the morning after feeling are both hard prices to pay. Stick to the odd glass or even better, alcohol-free. On the other hand, drink plenty of water. Many things can aggravate or trigger anxiety and dehydration is one of them. When our bodies are dehydrated they do not function as well. Water makes up on average 60 – 70 percent of the human body, it carries hormones and nutrients to their destinations, so when fluid consumption is reduced this procedure starts to slow down and can cause many disagreeable symptoms. Find out more...Be aware of what you eatWhat should you do at this time of the year with all the tempting food and snacks around? You don’t have to refuse every mince pie or piece of Christmas cake, you just need to be sensible and aware of what you are eating. Moderation is the key. If you feel you have overindulged one day, try to have a bit of a detox for the next 24 hours sticking to ‘healthy foods’. Find out more about a healthy diet...Stay in the momentBeing mindful and staying in the here and now is a great way to avoid anxiety taking over. It’s about living in the present moment and not worrying about what you didn’t do yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. Mindfulness helps us manage our emotions at the same time decreases stress, anxiety and depression. By taking just 6 minutes of your day and practising this simple exercise somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed you will be doing yourself a great favour. https://nopanic.org.uk/a-moment-of-mindfulness-video/Look after number 1It is all well and good racing around and making sure everyone is looked after and has the right gift but you need to look after yourself as a priority. This means listening to your body: Are you tired? Are you hungry/thirsty? Are you uptight or stressed? Sometimes you just have to say ‘no’, it may be scary, to begin with, but those who matter the most will understand. Catering for your own needs is not selfish it is essential for your wellbeing. Here are some more top tips on self-care. Take time outSometimes it’s nice just to get away from the hustle and bustle. Take yourself off to a quiet place and have a bit of 'you' time, tricky I know if your house is full but you are allowed to have a few minutes to unwind and get yourself back on track. Here are some other distraction ideas... ExerciseExercise can lift a person’s mood considerably, relieve tension and stress and boost physical and mental energy. Exercise also increases our body temperature which can have a calming effect. It will also help tire the body for restful sleep, which is also important when trying to keep control over all the festive anxiety. Don't compareSocial media has a great habit of making us put ourselves down. Looking at those pictures or reading the posts of acquaintances having the 'perfect’ Christmas with the ‘just what I always wanted’ presents is a sure way to dampen your spirits. Anyway, they can’t be having such an amazing time if they are sitting in front of a mobile phone or computer screen. If you know the comparison game leaves you feeling down in the dumps, avoid it. Be happyWear a smile if you can, not just a turn up of the corners of your lips but a full-blown smile that incorporates your whole face. It has been proven that smiling triggers a chemical reaction in the brain, releasing certain feel-good hormones. In other words, smiling can trick your brain into believing you’re happy. Look around your own life and be grateful for as much as possible. Find out more about how laughing is good for your health...Stay within your budgetThe temptation of overspending is stronger at this time of year than any other according to a recent survey. The pressure of purchasing the 'perfect gift' or buying extravagant food and drink is thrown at us from all angles. The secret is to avoid the temptation of overspending that you will regret at a later date. When you go shopping, just take the cash you can afford, leave credit/debit cards at home. TalkIf you are feeling stressed or finding it hard to cope, tell someone. Don’t keep things bottled up inside. Whether it’s someone with you or a phone call away, reach out. If needs be you can always call the No Panic helpline open 365 days of the year from 10 am until 10 pm on 0300 7729844.
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Inner Giving for Positive Living - By Garry Vaux Garry Vaux has been a professional illustrator for 7 years and during that time has illustrated all sorts of different things as well as many books for other authors, but this is the first one of his own. Garry’s had his own battles with anxiety over the years and after much reading and research during that time he has put together this book which promotes a more positive way of thinking and an alternative way of looking at life. The main character is called YY who represents everyone, they are our inner self, that inner voice that chatters away in every situation but by nurturing the more positive way of thinking will help during those difficult moments. This fabulous 44-page book is designed to encourage a change of perspective and a more positive frame of mind in a difficult world. It includes illustrated sayings to live your life by, positive affirmations, a word search, a positive word cloud and tasks to boost your self-esteem. It’s designed entirely in monochrome but it includes a colouring page so you can add your own splash of colour. This would make a fabulous Christmas gift for any age group and is on special offer throughout the month of December at just £5.99 in the No Panic Online Shop. BUY NOW
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Coping alone over the holidays While many of us see the festive season as a wonderful time to get together with family and friends, for many, this can be the most difficult and loneliest time of the year. If you are dreading Christmas and all it involves, you might like to take a look at our suggestions on how to help yourself. - Rather than spend the day at home alone, find something that you can do to help others. Volunteer for a local charity, animal shelters, soup kitchens or homeless shelters.
- Spring clean. Decluttering tends
to have a therapeutic effect and makes you feel good. Getting into
action will automatically lift your mood.
- Buy a present or two and treat yourself! This is the perfect moment to treat number 1.
- Go online and chat with others on social media, you are not the only one alone. There will be plenty of others out there looking out for a friendly chat.
- Curl up with a good book. This is a great way to take yourself off to faraway places.
- Start your day well. Open the curtains to let the light in. If it's mild enough, then open a
window even just for a short time to freshen the room.
- Don't assume everyone else is having a better time than you. It would be great if we all came from loving families who got on well
with each other. The truth is for a lot of people being thrown
together with people who at any other time of the year you wouldn't
normally hang out with can be very stressful.
- Generate a cosy setting. Fairy lights and scented candles can create a
lovely warm, welcoming atmosphere.
- Reach out
If you are feeling down about being alone this Christmas. Call a friend, family member or
the No Panic Helpline.
- Most importantly, remember Christmas is just one day of the year and it will soon pass. The new year will soon be upon us.
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FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES & LEAVE LESS ROOM FOR THE NEGATIVES When you focus on all the good things in your life you naturally become a more positive person. Writing down just five things each day that you are thankful for, will make you more optimistic and therefore automatically happier. It is no good just thinking about them, you have to take action and put pen to paper to make them concrete. Some days you may be challenged with difficult situations or certain obstacles might get in the way, but each day will have some good in it somewhere. It doesn’t have to be anything huge like a life-changing event, in fact, learning to appreciate the small things has many advantages. Let’s get going: - Plan aside 5 minutes of your day, just before you go to bed is ideal. Keep it consistent, this way it will more easily become a habit.
- Write down exactly 5 positive things from your day, no less, no more. It doesn’t have to be anything big, just positive. For example, “It was a sunny day”, “I spoke to a friend”, “I wore bright colours”, “My coffee tasted good”...
- Research has shown that it takes just one month for actions to become habits. What are you waiting for? Let’s get positive.
More reading...More reading...
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MY GAD RETURNED I first discovered the charity No Panic on a small notice board pinned to my GP’s wall in my early 20’s. I had just started the onset of rather serious GAD and I didn’t know what was wrong with me at the time. I felt like I had been lobotomised and someone else’s mind had replaced mine. Anxiety can feel like this initially if you don’t know what it is. Whilst the GP was arranging for me to see a psychiatrist I took the number off the notice board and kept it. One day I was out and about in Watford and had a rather harsh panic attack. I ran into a phone box and called the No Panic helpline and they talked me down. I vowed I would one day give back to such a selfless, kind and empathic charity. After some psychiatry and CBT work, I recovered fully and unmedicated. Fast forward twenty years later and I now have been through GAD again. This time mildly medicated. Continue reading ...
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If you would like to read more stories of people's own experiences with anxiety, pop over to our page dedicated to this on The No Panic Website: Your StoriesOr perhaps you would like to share your own experience? Please get in touch.
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PANIC ATTACK PROJECT No Panic is looking for people who have experienced panic attacks and would like to participate in a short video project we have. Back in August we put a new video on our YouTube channel where some of our service users shared their experiences of panic and anxiety. This video has now had over 1300 views and great feedback which has inspired us to go on and record a new one sharing advice and tips on how to reduce or cope with panic attacks. Here is the video if you would like to take a look: Panic Anxiety VideoSo if you would like to participate in this new project and help others by sharing your coping mechanisms please get in touch.
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DON'T FORGET!!!! As a full member of No Panic, you can join us for support every Monday evening for our Anxiety Support Chats, every Tuesday afternoon, the 1st Saturday of the month and the 3rd Thursday of the month for our Cosy Coffee Chats. 💬 💬 💬 💬 (Click on the links below to find out more⬇️)
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No Panic's YouTube channel is a great place to watch videos on all kinds of anxiety disorders. We discuss, symptoms, challenges and solutions with the experts.
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CONTACT DETAILS OVER THE FESTIVE PERIOD 🔹The No Panic head office will be closed from 5pm on Friday 24th December and will re-open again on Monday 3rd January at 9am. 🔹The No Panic helpline 0300 7729844 is open 365 days of the year from 10am - 10pm. 🔹The No Panic Youth helpline 0330 6061174 is open between 3pm and 6pm Monday to Friday and between 6pm and 8pm Thursday and Saturday. 🔹You can also leave us a message via the chat service on the No Panic Website or email sarah@nopanic.org.uk
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Hon. President & Co-Founder: Professor Kevin Gournay CBE
PATRONS
Professor Paul Šalkovskis, Professor Roz Shafran, Rita Simons, Lord Carlile of Berriew Q.C., Jeremy Dyson, Ruth Cooper-Dickson, Natasha Devon MBE, Annabel Giles, Kevin Jon
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DON'T FORGET to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for daily tips and advice. Check out all our videos on YouTube Click on the links below: 👇 👇 👇 👇 👇
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Charity No Panic 51a Market Street, Oakengates, Telford, Shropshire. TF2 6EL
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