This content mentions anxiety, which some people may find triggering.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, with Mental Health Awareness Week falling from May 15-21. This year’s theme chosen by the Mental Health Foundation is the consciousness of anxiety. It is in the hope that a national conversation will be started for people to share their common experiences.
Anxiety is something that can affect you physically and mentally. It is typical for physical symptoms such as headaches, increased heart rate or shortness of breath to appear before the mental effects of becoming tense, anxious and upset. Often, if you experience these symptoms, it’s normal to start spiraling down, which can cause you to feel overwhelmed and unable to carry out your daily activities. Luckily, it’s something that can be managed. survivors may experience anxiety thinking about past experiences, needing to pick up the phone, attend appointments, or even just go out.
When you decide to hire a lawyer, it’s natural to feel anxious, especially during your first meeting or your first phone call. Taking the initiative to seek help is a huge step to take. First, take a moment to appreciate your bravery and courage. Be proud of what you are about to do.
To help you, we’ve put together a list of some things you can do to deal with any feelings of anxiety you may experience during the legal process:
We are here to support you. As your lawyers, we only want to act in your best interests and help you achieve your goals to the best of our legal abilities. We are also under an obligation of confidentiality – anything disclosed to us is private.
A survivor must remember to breathe. If you begin to recognize that your body is tense, take a moment to breathe deeply. Inhale for a count of three. Hold that breath for the count of three. Now exhale for a count of three. This increases oxygen in your body, slows your heart rate, and helps dizziness. It will also help you regulate your “fight or flight” mode..
Write down in advance what you want to discuss with your lawyer. Writing down your thoughts can help you categorize them and make sure there’s nothing missed that you wanted to talk about.
Take care of yourself. It can be easy when a big event threatens you to forget the small daily tasks. Get enough rest, hydrate and eat well. When you’ve had a tough day, remember to reward yourself and do something you enjoy, like having a good meal or watching a movie. It can be helpful to set aside time before and after appointments to prepare and then relax.
Challenge your thoughts. This can be the hardest and most engaging part of managing anxiety, but it’s important to try to keep the thoughts from interfering with your routine. When you are anxious, it can lead to ruminating on things that keep swirling around in your mind, leaving us feeling overwhelmed. If you can catch yourself in this cycle and question the thought, it can help you come to terms with the feelings and move on with your day. Is what you are worried about likely to happen? Have you had similar thoughts that didn’t come true? If your consideration relates to a legal issue related to your case, please contact us for advice.
Finally, it is always worth asking for help. Survivors may feel isolated with their feelings, which no one understands and they are alone, but it is important to have someone to contact, whether it is a helpline, a friend or a family member.
