We read a lot about the debilitating effects of depression, while low-level anxiety gets less attention. Yet according to experts, it's much more prevalent. "Depression gets more press, but anxiety is by far the most common mental-health problem today," says Catherine O'Neill from Anxiety UK.
Caroline Carr, the author of How Not to Worry, defines anxiety as "feeling abnormally tense, worried and apprehensive about lots of different things, even when there is no need to be". Sound familiar? It shouldn't - yet most of us put up with such feelings for a lot of the time, thinking it's quite normal.
There are lots of little signs in our life that reveal we're anxious. Learning to identify them is the first stage in tackling the cause. Physical signs are the most obvious. You may think you store fat around our tummy because you eat too many cakes, for example, but chances are it will also be related to anxiety. Experts agree that too many stress hormones can make the body resistant to insulin, which in turn encourages the body to store more fat than usual.
Persistent back pain can also be a sign you're anxious, unless you've obviously put your back out by lifting something you shouldn't. An uncomfortable ache around the sacrum is usually coupled with shoulders scrunched up towards your ears.
The effect of life's strains on our skin can't be underestimated. They often cause or exacerbate skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. "Stress and anxiety can cause skin problems and trigger or heighten others," says Dr Ted Grossbart, the author of Skin Deep.
Disturbed sleep and insomnia are sure signs of anxiety, especially if we are tired all the time during the day and yet still can't sleep at night. We're tired because being anxious wears us out - it makes our bodies pump adrenalin and our heart rate and blood pressure go up. Yet because we're overwrought mentally rather than physically tired out, our brains wake up rather than calm down when our heads hit the pillow.
Grinding our teeth at night and clenching our jaws during the day also reflects anxiety - something that I started to do during research for my first book. I got a mouth guard to wear at night, but the clenching comes back whenever I'm anxious for a prolonged period. It's my sign that I need to stop and address whatever is bothering me.
Don't underestimate what our behaviour can reveal. Studies show that when we're anxious, we avoid social situations and stay in more. You may also find yourself cleaning the kitchen or washing your hands a little too often. According to Robert Leahy, the author of Anxiety Free, compulsive cleaning is used by anxious people as a form of risk control.
Attending to these general signs of anxiety is important if we are to avoid tipping into more serious disorders such as phobias. A gentle, repetitive exercise such as swimming or walking should help you relax and sleep at night, and keep the body producing normal levels of fat. It should also ease your back - as will lying on the floor whenever you get a moment. While you're there, or any time you can, take 20 deep, slow breaths, in for a count of five, out for a count of five. Anxiety can upset the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your body, and breathing slowly helps restore it.
To calm your skin, you often need to calm your mind, explains Grossbart. "As the boundary between our inside and our outside, the skin can see as much turmoil, passion and intrigue as any border town," he says.
Experiment with what works for you. I find acupuncture and yoga especially restorative, but I've also taken up playing the piano and find it as relaxing as a meditation session.
Most of all, remember that laughing with friends and interacting socially is one of the best ways we can remain connected with the world and minimise anxiety, while escape and avoidance will only make us feel worse in the long run. Try saying yes to something socially once a week, and next time you reach for the cleaning fluid, get out of the house and go and see a friend. Chances are it will lighten everything up.
Caroline Sylger Jones is the author ofBody & Soul Escapes and Body & Soul Escapes: Britain & Ireland, packed with independent reviews of places to retreat and replenish around the globe. See www.caroline sylgerjones.co.uk.
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
HWJN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Yasir%20Alyasiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Baraa%20Alem%2C%20Nour%20Alkhadra%2C%20Alanoud%20Saud%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).
3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.
5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.
5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London