The idea of online counselling for anxiety and depression can feel overwhelming. It’s natural to want to first connect in-person with the therapist with whom you will be sharing your most vulnerable thoughts and feelings. https://cocapsychotherapy.com/online-therapy-for-anxiety-and-depression
2. Online therapy for
Anxiety and depression
Generally speaking, we allhave a lot going on in ourbusy, 21st Century lives. Iknow forme personally, two
ofmy main stressors areworkand maintaining relationships – because they arenon-negotiable priorities
forme. But there arealso plenty ofother seemingly micro stressors that addto the weight ofit all.
Things like worryingabout finances, managing social pressure, tryingnot toover-exercise orstress about
eating the “right”foods arejust a few other examples that jump tomind. Tomake it that extra bit more
challenging, ourability to cope with these stressors is heavily impacted by where we arein our hormonal
cycle (for women), whether ornotwe arein a goodspace with friends andfamily, oreven what we have
recently put into ourbodies in terms offoodanddrinks.
But this kind ofstress is all mostly normal.
While stress can oftentimes buildup andfeel totally overwhelming, we arealways able tocope andsee a
faint light at the end of the tunnel. But the same cannot always besaid forthose who areexperiencing
chronic anxiety.
3. Stressvs. Anxiety Both stress andanxiety areemotional responses, but stress is most often caused by external triggers. These
could be short-term triggers such as an upcoming workdeadline or anargument with a loved one, ormore
long-term triggers such as living with a disability or experiencing discrimination.
Anxiety, on the other hand, is defined by the American Psychological Association (APA) as “persistent,
excessive worries that don’t go awayeven in the absence ofa stressor.”
Stress andanxiety share very similar symptoms:
6. Set Yourself Up
ForSuccess
Below is an example of a 30-minute morning routine that has proven highly successful:
• Set alarm30-minutes earlier
• Wake up anddrink aglass ofwater you haveleft ready next tobed
• Breathe deeply for 5 repetitions, inhaling andexhaling slowly
• Read several pages fromthe book next toyourbed
• Write down 3 – 5 things you aregrateful forin the journalnext toyour bed
• Perform 5 – 10 minutes of meditation toset your mind upfor the day
• Get out of bed anddoa short set ofexercises i.e. 10 x push-ups, 10 xsit-ups, 10 x squats andrepeat 3
times toget yourbody ready for the day
From there you may continue with your dayas usual. All it takes is a bit ofdiscipline, andyour routines will
naturallyturn into habitsthat will set you up for success.
7. Treat yourself to
good nutrition
Consider making the following “feel good” foods partof your anti-anxiety diet:
• Foods rich in magnesium such as leafy greens, legumes, nuts, seeds, andavocados
• Foods rich in zinc such as oysters, cashews, liver,beef, andegg yolks
• Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids such as fatty fish
• Probiotic-rich foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, andkefir
• Foods rich in B vitamins such as avocado andalmonds
• Prioritizesleep
8. Treat yourself to
good nutrition
• Avoid caffeine past 12pm
• Have your lastmeal roughly one hourbefore bed
• Limit exposure toblue light one hour before bed (no laptop, TV, orphone)
• Have a relaxing bath or shower before bed
• Drinka glass ofwater ornon-caffeinated herbal tea in bed
• Read, meditate, journal ortalk toyourpartner once in bed
9. Anxiety Disorder
Counselling & Depression Counselling
No matter the severity of anxiety you may be experiencing, orwhether ornotyou feel you have a righttofeel
depressed, it is important toknow that these feelings arenot something you have tosimply accept andlive
with.
Counselling for depression and anxiety is ahighly effective tool that doesn’t only deal with the symptoms of
anxiety ordepression. It alsouncovers the root causes ofthese disorders. For those struggling with anxiety,
anxiety counselling willteach you how torelax,help you tolook at situations in new, less frightening ways,
andgive you the tools todevelop better problem-solving skills andhealthier coping mechanisms. Similarly,
depression counselling can help you toidentify, address andmanage negative, self-defeating thoughts that
may affect the way you behave.
Finding the right therapist for depression andanxiety can be difficult, but the hard-to-face reality is that your
worries may not goaway on their own. In fact, they have the potential toget worse over time if you don’t seek
help.
For many people struggling with their mental health, online therapy can bejust as effective as traditional,in-
person therapy.
10. Online TherapyForAnxiety And
Depression
The idea of online counselling foranxiety anddepression can feel overwhelming. It’s natural towant to
firstconnect in-person with the therapist with whom you will besharing your most vulnerable thoughts
andfeelings. And then, once trusthas been established, possibly move intoan online space further down
the line.
But the one positive takeaway from the Covidpandemic is that the need forconnection, in a time where
social distancing has become the norm, has forced highly reputable counsellors andpsychotherapists to
providean online option andmake their services more accessible tothe masses. Online therapy for anxiety
anddepression can help you avoid the expense andinconvenience ofhaving tomeet in-person, andbeing
in a comfortable environment can make it easier to talkmore openly about your issues.