Anxiety can have two faces; One helps us be cautious in an unsafe situation and the other that can be very crippling. Four personality traits can complicate and increase anxiety: Perfectionism, excessive need for approval, the tendency to ignore physical and psychological signs of stress and the excess need for control. These traits have likely developed in childhood through learned behaviour or developed out of a response to frequent criticisms, according to E.J. Bourne, Ph. D. in the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. Anxiety can affect us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. To enable us to grow and recover we have to reduce the physical reactions, eliminate avoidance behaviour and change the negative selftalk. This can be done by learning breathing techniques and expressing your feelings, re-connect on a spiritual level with meditation and by using assertive communication styles and healthy boundaries. Regular exercise and dietary changes can be extremely effective in reducing anxiety.

Patty Parsons, Counselling Therapist, ParsonsTherapy.com