Caroline Foran
BROADCASTER AND AUTHOR Anxiety is a constant in my life sometimes mild and unnoticeable, sometimes unbearably acute. For the most part, I manage it very well, but I never consider myself anxiety-free or ‘cured’. I’ve come through an awful lot all of which I’ve detailed in my first book, Owning It
and two things have been central to that. First, I can’t speak highly enough of cognitive behavioural therapy as a practical way to tackle the thoughts, feelings and behaviours involved in anxiety.
Second, I don’t think it’s possible to manage everyday stress, let alone anxiety, without understanding what’s happening in our bodies. What exactly is stress? Why do we feel it? What hormones are involved? Why are you feeling it now? Wrapping your head around all of this is half, if not more, of the battle. It was and still is a major tool for me. If you can understand and make sense of what’s happening, you can proactively address it.
On a day-to-day basis, I’m mindful of my limits. I know if I take on too much I will struggle, but I also know that if I have to take on a lot for a short period of time, I will feel the effects of stress, and that is also OK. Once it’s not long-term and once I’m aware. I don’t try to avoid stress, because that in itself will create more stress. I’m freelance, so I haven’t got the same structure that full-time employment would give, but if I have a crazy day or a crazy week, I’ll plan for a recuperation day afterwards.
I’m more about work-life blending than work-life balance. I balance my life as it unfolds, and I’m flexible in my thinking. I have enormous respect for my body, and I don’t push it too far without expecting it to react. During stressful times, I’m mindful of what’s happening, I understand it, and that makes it easier to restore equilibrium once the occasion has passed. On a very practical level, if I’m very stressed-out, I will avoid caffeine, be mindful of alcohol intake, and watch the sugar, too. You don’t need any additional stimulants when your mind is already over-stimulated. Sometimes, however, stress does get the better of me, and anxiety can wash over me like a wave I’m human. The key is not to berate yourself when this happens, understand it and pick yourself up again. Nobody — not even a bestselling author on stress or anxiety — has it figured out 100pc of the time.