Happiful August 2020

Knowledge is key, and engaging in
supportive conversations is paramount
Practise 10 minutes of mindfulness
a day, tuning into all of your
senses. What can you see, hear,
smell, touch, and taste? When you
feel an attack coming on, try to tap
into this practice, feel your feet on
the ground, and know that you are
safe and grounded.
Beverley says: “Take a moment
and do what we call Socratic
Questioning. Ask yourself what’s
the worst that can happen, what’s
the best that can happen, and
what’s the most likely thing to
happen? That way you can be
prepared for all eventualities
without going down the rabbit hole
of rumination, which as we all
know, leads nowhere.
“Remember, your anxious
thoughts won’t stop things
happening, however they will
ensure you get upset. Pace yourself
– what’s the rush? A good idea is to
talk to a counsellor who can help
you learn how to manage your
anxieties in a healthier way.”
TRY ALTERNATIVE PRACTICE
Holistic therapy can be a viable
option to support you through
re-entry anxiety. With a variety
of practices to choose from,
crystal healing in particular can
be effective as its grounding and
energy absorbing qualities can
help evoke the energy you need, to
quell your anxieties.
Try working self-massage into
your daily routine. A simple
practice with powerful benefits,
the power of touch can physically
relax you, ground you in the here
and now, and it gives you the
opportunity to slow down and
acknowledge how you’re feeling.
HOW TO BROACH THE SUBJECT
OF RE-ENTRY ANXIETY OVER
LOVED ONES’ SAFETY
The thought of my three-year-old
niece returning to nursery makes
me uncomfortable. It makes me
feel helpless. But is it my place to
voice my concerns?
This is tricky. With the fear of
sounding like a judgemental
auntie, I didn’t know how to
broach the subject with my
brother. So instead, I looked at the
facts, I spoke to colleagues with
children, and discovered how they
were managing things.
As I’m not a parent, I didn’t
understand the measures put
in place by each school for the
protection of staff and children,
nor did I understand how the virus
has affected the area my brother
lives in. So I did speak to my
brother, purely to understand how
the nursery would move forward
safely, and this put my worries at
ease. I have to remember that my
brother knows his child best, and
will have taken all precautions to
do what’s right for her.
In this instance, knowledge is
key, and engaging in supportive
conversations is paramount.
HOW TO SUPPORT CHILDREN
RETURNING TO SCHOOL
Children returning to school
may also be struggling with
anxiety and fear, similar to that
feeling of first starting school.
It’s difficult for a child to fully
understand lockdown, alongside
re-introducing a normal routine
that is still restricted. Clinical
hypnotherapist and NLP
practitioner Les Roberts explains
in her article, ‘Helping children
with anxieties and stresses during
the pandemic’, how you can
support a child struggling to make
sense of the pandemic.
She says: “It’s important to talk
to your children about what’s
happening. Be open and explain
the situation as well as you can.
Talk to them about their feelings,
anxieties, what can you do to make
them feel better, help them find
solutions, offer alternative things
to do to take their minds away
from whatever is causing them to
feel anxious. Reassure them all will
be OK, and you understand what
they are going through. Be mindful
of what you discuss/talk about
within earshot of children.”
If you’re struggling with re-entry
anxiety for yourself, or for others,
try not to put too much pressure
on yourself, and take control of
the things that are in reach. If you
need to talk, Samaritans offer a
free, confidential listening service
available 24/7 on 116 123, or you
can speak to a qualified counsellor
via Counselling Directory.
Whatever the new normal will be,
you’ll adapt, and you’ll find comfort
in the knowledge that you could.
August 2020 • happiful.com • 53