WEBVTT - How to find joy when the world is heavy

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Healthy Ish. Thanks for tuning in to your

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<v Speaker 1>daily podcasts. From Body and Soul with Me Felicity Harley. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>if life the world is weighing you down, then you

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<v Speaker 1>are listening to the right episode. It will give you

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<v Speaker 1>a much needed pep up. I am joined by psychologist

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<v Speaker 1>Anna Nikolau, who shares a few hand coping strategies to

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<v Speaker 1>help bring more joy to your day. Hey, listening to

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<v Speaker 1>extra healthy Ish, where Anna talks about well she shares

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<v Speaker 1>some easy ways to regulate your nervous system. You can

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<v Speaker 1>catch that one wherever we get your podcasts. Anna, Welcome

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<v Speaker 1>to health Ish.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>How are you welcome? Welcome to Sydney From.

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<v Speaker 2>Robert I'm loving it now.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a lot going on. I feel like the world

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<v Speaker 1>is really heavy personally. I know a lot of people

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<v Speaker 1>we talk to, well, a lot of people I talk

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<v Speaker 1>to at the schoolgate, in the in the Bristol line,

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<v Speaker 1>feel like we're just impacted by everything else that's going

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<v Speaker 1>on around us. What are you hearing and seeing and feeling.

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<v Speaker 2>Then there's definitely a lot going on. We are, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>overloading our schedule. Everything's at a fast pace and I

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<v Speaker 2>think we just feel overwhelmed most of the time. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>how can we fit everything in in such a short

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<v Speaker 2>amount of time that we have.

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<v Speaker 1>It is the other thing that overwhelmed the schedules, everything

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<v Speaker 1>that's going on, technology, the world, you know, what's going

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<v Speaker 1>on outside our borders. It all just it's like a

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<v Speaker 1>big cloud over so many of us. How does our

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<v Speaker 1>body deal with all of this stress?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think what happens is because we are in

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<v Speaker 2>a society now that is fast pace. There's a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of change. You know, we've got we're advancing and moving

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<v Speaker 2>quickly at a rate that's the fastest that it ever

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<v Speaker 2>has been. I think with change. As humans, we don't

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<v Speaker 2>generally like change. We like things to be predictable. We

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<v Speaker 2>like to know what's ahead. And I think with this

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<v Speaker 2>change that we are experiencing at a fast rate, we

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<v Speaker 2>are feeling quite unsettled because of the unpredictability and the

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<v Speaker 2>uncertainty of what's ahead. So with that brings on some

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<v Speaker 2>anxiety and stress and worries, which we are starting to

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<v Speaker 2>see more and more often.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you seeing that in your practice more cases and

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<v Speaker 1>more people coming with these anxiety concerns.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Look, anxiety and stress is one of our biggest

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<v Speaker 2>issues that we're dealing with that we're seeing with our

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<v Speaker 2>clients coming in because it's just a lot to deal with.

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<v Speaker 2>As you said, if we look at everything that's going

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<v Speaker 2>on in the world, even just in our day to day,

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<v Speaker 2>it's a lot to manage, and it is how do

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<v Speaker 2>we cope whilst this is going on?

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<v Speaker 1>What are the health consequences of carrying this this stress?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I guess when we're stressed and anxious, there's different

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<v Speaker 2>things that can happen. We all experience stress differently to others.

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<v Speaker 2>What tends to happen when we are anxious and stressed

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<v Speaker 2>is we start to neglect ourselves. We're too busy, things

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<v Speaker 2>are too hectic, and we start, you know, neglecting what

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<v Speaker 2>we eat, our exercise. We just think we don't have

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<v Speaker 2>time for self care. So just from that, the consequences

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<v Speaker 2>to our health start to we start to experience other

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<v Speaker 2>consequences is in our the way we behave, the way

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<v Speaker 2>we interact with others. We may start to withdraw because

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<v Speaker 2>it's just too much. We stop socializing and we become

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<v Speaker 2>more isolated.

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<v Speaker 1>How do we manage how can we let's talk about

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<v Speaker 1>from like a macro sense, how can we manage the

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<v Speaker 1>stress of the world, and then micro how can we

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<v Speaker 1>manage ourselves?

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<v Speaker 2>And maybe we need to do it the other way around.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's first focus on ourselves because I think when we

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<v Speaker 2>look at the everything that's going on, it seems too

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<v Speaker 2>big and too much. Let's focus on what we actually

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<v Speaker 2>can control, because we can't control what's going on around us.

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<v Speaker 2>And as I said before, you know, if things are unpredictable,

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<v Speaker 2>we are unsettled. So let's focus on, well, what can

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<v Speaker 2>I can control in my day to day that's going

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<v Speaker 2>to make me feel more settled and that's going to

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<v Speaker 2>be good for me. So I would be looking at

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<v Speaker 2>first the self care. You know, that's something we can

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<v Speaker 2>start thinking about right now. You know, looking at our diet,

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<v Speaker 2>our sleep, routine, exercise, all those things, we see the

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<v Speaker 2>benefits to our mental health. When we are looking after ourselves,

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<v Speaker 2>we are sort of mentally strong and more resilient to

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<v Speaker 2>then cope with the bigger things.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that's a really good point. Actually, my husband joke said,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm I mean, I'm very milli about my my sleep

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<v Speaker 1>and my food and my exercise, Like I have to exercise,

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<v Speaker 1>but he jokes about it. But for me, it's not

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<v Speaker 1>a joke because it's actually how I cope, like personally,

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<v Speaker 1>can cope with everything else going on.

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<v Speaker 2>You've seen how it does help you then get through

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<v Speaker 2>the day to day. And we do need to prioritize

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<v Speaker 2>it because if we're not looking after ourselves and that

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<v Speaker 2>drops off, we become more vulnerable to anxiety and stress

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<v Speaker 2>and negative thinking and not coping. So we really do

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<v Speaker 2>need to prioritize self care.

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<v Speaker 1>What about when we get caught up in conversations about

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<v Speaker 1>what's happening overseas, you know, whether it be the war

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<v Speaker 1>in Ukraine, what's happening in the US, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>often you can get suck into these conversations and you

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<v Speaker 1>can't help but take on some of the stress and

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<v Speaker 1>anxiety from those conversations. How can we kind of protect

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<v Speaker 1>ourselves from that when we're unwittingly well, we look at

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<v Speaker 1>a headline and then it triggers something or I.

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<v Speaker 2>Think it's also important to stop and notice the good

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<v Speaker 2>things that are going on. It's not all doing my

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<v Speaker 2>gloom and negative. There are a lot of good things

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<v Speaker 2>that are going on in the world, but we do

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<v Speaker 2>tend to sort of gravitate towards the not so good things.

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<v Speaker 2>And obviously, if we're exposed to social media and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>things that are coming through our feed, we can get

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<v Speaker 2>pulled into that. But I think it is important to

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<v Speaker 2>be more aware and mindful of looking at the good

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<v Speaker 2>things that are going on, so it's a more balanced view.

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<v Speaker 2>The other thing I would suggest is maybe you know,

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<v Speaker 2>switching off your devices as well at times, or not

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<v Speaker 2>looking at some things that are more triggering that's going

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<v Speaker 2>to bring about more anxiety in stress.

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<v Speaker 1>How can we tap into that joy, more tap into

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<v Speaker 1>the feel good emotions. I'm with you, don't think about this,

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<v Speaker 1>Let's think about this. How do we actually do this?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so I think we just we can easily get

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<v Speaker 2>pulled into, like I said, and be distracted by a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of noise that's going on, and it really for

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<v Speaker 2>us to experience joy, we need to just focus being

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<v Speaker 2>present in the moment. Let's just focus on where we

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<v Speaker 2>are right now and what's going on in front of us.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think if we can practice being more present

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<v Speaker 2>and more engaged, we're naturally going to feel a lot

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<v Speaker 2>more connected and that brings about positivity and joy. So

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<v Speaker 2>I talk about with my clients you know, when you're

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<v Speaker 2>interacting with someone. Majority of the time, I think we

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<v Speaker 2>can all relate. When we're talking to someone, we're not

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<v Speaker 2>fully listening and we're already planning or thinking about what

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<v Speaker 2>we're going to do next, or what am I cooking

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<v Speaker 2>for dinner? Or you know, what do I have to

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<v Speaker 2>get at the shops, and we're not fully present and

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<v Speaker 2>engaged in that moment. So the best way to be

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<v Speaker 2>engaged in present is focus on your senses. What can

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<v Speaker 2>I see, what can I hear? What can I smell?

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<v Speaker 2>What can I touch? In some examples, and that brings

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<v Speaker 2>us really to the present, and then we enjoy that

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<v Speaker 2>interaction or that experience a lot more full fully, and

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<v Speaker 2>you will notice it, it's more enjoyable.

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<v Speaker 1>It's often hard to kind of catch yourself in the moment,

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<v Speaker 1>isn't it. It's almost like a muscle that you you

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<v Speaker 1>have to train to think, okay, like focus, stop thinking

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<v Speaker 1>about that. Like it's so easy to get caught up

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<v Speaker 1>in that. It's so easy the thoughts that, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the rumination and the cycles of I need to do this,

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<v Speaker 1>I need especially at this time.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Well, research is showing too that we can't hold

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<v Speaker 2>attention as long as we used to. You know, over

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<v Speaker 2>time now our attention span is reducing significantly. Everything we

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<v Speaker 2>want is immediate. I mean when we read an article,

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<v Speaker 2>we skim through it. We've sort of lost that ability

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<v Speaker 2>to hold attention. It's something we really need to start

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<v Speaker 2>practicing more. And it's really being just aware to hold

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<v Speaker 2>that attention, to be present to you know, not be

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<v Speaker 2>pulled in or distracted by other things or picking up

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<v Speaker 2>our phone at the dinner table. It's something we've really

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<v Speaker 2>got to practice because we've slipped into some bad habits

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<v Speaker 2>and it's really something we go to train our brain

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<v Speaker 2>to hold attention. And I think by focusing on your

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<v Speaker 2>senses and more aware of that, that's the best way

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<v Speaker 2>to practice holding attention. And when you do practice that,

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<v Speaker 2>you notice it actually hurts, like it you feel your

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<v Speaker 2>brain hurt when you have to hold attention and notice

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<v Speaker 2>your senses. But that's good. You've got to work that.

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<v Speaker 2>There's something that over time you can and.

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<v Speaker 1>It does get easier.

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<v Speaker 2>It does get easier.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, And I thank you for coming on Healthish, thank

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<v Speaker 1>you for having me well. Thanks for tuning in too

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<v Speaker 1>Anna's wisdom. If you do want more from her, listening

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<v Speaker 1>to extra Healthyish, where we take a bit of a

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<v Speaker 1>deep dive into the nervous system. If you want anything

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<v Speaker 1>else from us, you know where to go bodyansoul dot

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<v Speaker 1>com that you follow us on socials, Grab our print

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<v Speaker 1>edition which is out in your local Sunday paper, and

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<v Speaker 1>until tomorrow, stay healthish.