The stress, anxiety, low mood loop
​

It doesn't sound very nice and it's not.
It might be familiar to you or someone
close to you. This is the loop where our
stress levels have been creeping up
or suddenly spiked and we notice we're
often on edge, have difficulty relaxing,
or become more reactive than usual.
We may start to feel like everything is a
struggle and notice a loss of enjoyment
in our life. If this state goes on too long
we can start to experience low mood. This is the slippery slope to depression and anxiety and I often meet people who've slid down it.
​
When life starts to feel like a battle our capacity to experience moments of happiness and joy suffer. This is obviously not much fun but more than that - when we lose our connection to these positive emotions it impacts our whole outlook. Each day starts to feel heavy like a grey sky has moved in and just won't budge.  
​
Some strategies people find helpful when they first start to notice these symptoms arising are reading - to get a better understanding of what's impacting you. Or getting into an exercise routine to manage stress, and talking to trusted friends or family.
 
At other times we need a guide with
more specialized tools and insight to
help us get back on track. This is
when connecting with a psychologist
could be the answer. Psychologists
are trained to identify the triggers to
these painful states and have tools
to guide you on your path back to a
brighter outlook.
 
​