Work With Anxiety – Not Against It!

Were shining a light on common mental health issues to help spread awareness. First up, motivational coach KATIE DEAN shares her tips

- Gabriella Del Grande

One in four people will experience anxiety at some stage in their life – that’s one in three women and one in five men.

Whether you or someone you love deals with the disorder, there’s no doubt that despite its prevalence there’s still damaging stigmas attached.

But author of Becoming Brave and anxiety sufferer herself, Katie Dean, wants us to stop being so darn harsh on ourselves and others when all there really needs to be is compassion and support.

Here are her tips on understanding anxiety and ridding harmful stereotypes…

How it feels

Anxiety isn’t a “one size fits all” condition. In fact, it can come in many forms of varying degrees according to Katie, who explains some of those she’s experienced personally.

“At [its] heaviest and most debilitating, [you feel] complete and utter terror manifested and flooding through your body,” she says. “Within a full-fledged panic attack, the feeling within your body can be as though your life in that moment is on the line.”

As for a more mild experience?