Settling Anxiety With Ginger Tea - With A Caution For Pregnancy

When Anxiety Gives You Butterflies: Why a Simple Tip Supports Proper Therapy

Last Saturday I went to a workshop on Social Anxiety Disorder run by the renowned anxiety researcher Michael Eysenck. It was a great experience, and the talk got me thinking about something I should probably share.

If you know me, you'll know that I'm not into alternative medicine or treatment of any kind. Twenty-five years in Asia haven't converted me to believing in acupuncture, reiki, and so on.

The Link Between Anxiety and Your Stomach

When clients tell me they're stressed, the symptoms often start in the gut, the famous "butterflies" or, if you’re really stressed, "bats." 

Have a cuppa! Courtesy Wikipedia

Since therapy needs to address your condition head-on, I always start with evidence-based psychological tools. But for an immediate, non-medicinal boost, I often advise clients to start the day with a simple glass of ginger tea.

I'm talking about a slice of the fresh root or some powdered ginger, not the crystal-flavored products from the shops! Here’s why this small act can support your therapy:

Ginger contains oils that fight nausea. Some studies have found it effective against tummy upsets caused by travel sickness, operations, and chemo. (Equally, other studies find it's as effective as a placebo, so the idea that it works is controversial.)

What tips the balance for me is that ginger tea is a traditional, familiar drink. For many of my international clients, it's something grandma used to give them. This positive association with comfort is important because I'm looking to help people feel better right now, so they can engage with the deeper work of therapy. When anxiety gives you butterflies, try a cup of ginger tea and see if it helps settle that.

Important Caveats (This Is Not a Cure)

I am not saying you should drink this stuff all day long! Ginger acts as a mild laxative, and anything with active ingredients comes with warnings. Ginger is generally rated as safe, but it also has some blood-thinning properties. If you have medical issues or are pregnant, you must talk to your doctor first!

My advice to drink ginger tea is a low-stakes, physical coping mechanism that supports proper psychological therapy. It is never a replacement for actually addressing the condition that causes the anxiety.

As for the second thing I recommend, check out why I think visualisation, meditation, and mindfulness can be useful in therapy.

Want to manage anxiety, depression, relationships, or simply be the best you living your best life? I can help you turbocharge change! Message me today via email ellen.whyte@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +44 7514 408143 for your free 15-minute consultation.

Simple Tip To Turbocharge Gratitude Journaling; Uncover Your Hidden Inner Needs

Gratitude journaling can be a useful tool if you're depressed but it's also useful if you want to understand yourself a bit better.

The idea of keeping a gratitude journal isn't new but it's becoming popular again thanks to the positive psychology movement. The idea is a really good one based on the precept that when you're depressed, you're more likely to notice negative events than positive ones.

Think about it: when you're down, you notice the traffic jam and not that the sun's shining, that you've had a good cup of coffee, that someone's put a newspaper out for you to read etc etc.

Keeping a note of the good stuff can therefore help you focus on the positive and that helps pull you out of the blues.

But there's another useful side to the journaling, and you don't have to keep endless notes either. Understanding exactly what makes you happy, can reveal needs and values that you may not realise you had.

For example, a few years ago I realised I was grateful when a friend called me to tell me a seminar time had changed. When I analysed it, I realised I was happy because it made me feel part of the group. Until that exercise, I hadn't realised that belonging to that group was particularly important to me.

So if you're curious about knowing yourself better, just complete this sentence: yesterday XXX happened. It made me feel great because it made me think YYY.

And enjoy the revelations! 

Ready to turbocharge change and be the best you? Message me today via email ellen.whyte@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +44 7514 408143 for your free 15-minute consultation. 

Some Notes About Free Therapy

"Where to get free therapy?" someone messaged me recently.  "Would you recommend?"  The short answer is yes, but with caveats. 

If you can't afford to pay and the government hospitals have super long waiting lists, you might look to a charity or non-profit group.  

However, before you pick up the phone to schedule an appointment, you should ask two questions.

Must Ask Question #1 Are They Selling Or Promoting Something?

"Deception of woman, with self-portrait" Witkiewicz, 1927

You'll have heard of cults that focus on lost, depressed or upset people because they are vulnerable.  They sell psychological services in order to engage, convert and exploit.

While those are extreme cases, there's a subtler problem that comes with some groups.

For example, suppose you're in an unhappy marriage. You look to someone to discuss this and you find an NGO (non-governmental organisation) that will talk to you for free.

So you pop along and then the conversation runs along the lines of, "How can we help you save your marriage?" because the centre is run by people who don't believe in divorce or who want to keep divorce rates down. Whatever you say, they'll tell you to stay in the marriage, even if it hurts you.

Or the conversation runs along the lines of, "How shall we get you that divorce?" because the group believes marriage is an institution that legalises domestic slavery of women. Whatever you say, they'll advise you to break up, even if it hurts you.

Either way, that's not good.

When you seek help, you should have someone work with you to formulate goals that make you happy. 

(Note: I'm talking about voluntary contexts here.  I'm not covering situations like court directed anger management or talking terrorists into stopping bombing people!)

A proper session should start with, "What is the issue you want help with?" and then the conversation should map out all your options, just to make sure you know what they are. Then you formulate your goal and you get help making a plan for you to reach that.

So, how do you spot groups with agendas? Read their promo pamphlets to see what their ideals are. Also check their social media feeds to see what kind of comments they make. Ask your circle of friends if they have personal experiences.  Put it all together and if you don't get a good vibe, try somewhere else. 

Of course, if you have a particular belief system that you want to work with, you might want to look for a group that agree with you. That's entirely up to you.

Must Ask Question #2 How Professional Are They?
Sometimes all you need is a nice person who listens to you and who is sensible. There are loads of charities who offer this service and they're awesome.  

Some specialise in particular issues, and over the years their volunteers become experts in their field. You can have a wonderful experience with such people and it's truly valuable.

However, therapy is more than listening.  Therapy is the treatment of mental or psychological disorders by psychological means.

What does that mean?  Well, it involves understanding the principles of human development and psychology as well as assessing mental health issues, and being able to apply the various treatment strategies that are known to create change effectively.

That kind of training is not something you pick up over a two day workshop or by watching a YouTube video.  It's also not something you can pick up just by listening to people for many years.  It requires formal training.

I've written about safe ways to find professionals in developing countries before.  But when you're searching through free services, you can get a grip on what's what by asking the simple question, "What are your formal qualifications?"  A pro has a suitable degree from a college or university as well as practical experience. 

I'm Ellen Whyte, BSc Psych (Hons), MCouns (Dist) which means I have a Bachelor's with Honours in Psychology and a Master's with Distinction in Counselling.  I'm a level 7 psychotherapist with 10 years of experience helping clients across 20+ countries navigate life's challenges and thrive.

Ready to heal and turbocharge change so you can be your best you? 

Message me today via email ellen.whyte@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +44 7514 408143 for your free 15-minute consultation.

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

Is Online Therapy For You? Some Of The More Unusual Reasons People Opt For Online Services

When it comes to online services people tend to focus on the fact that it cuts out travel, and that’s it’s discrete - or that sitting down with someone tends to make for better communication than video conferencing.

However, working online can offer some special benefits. Here’s are three that I value.

#1 If you’ve been raped and your country will jail or punish you for it

You may have seen the cases in the news like that of Alicia Gali, the Australian woman who was raped by three men after they drugged her drink. When Gali told the police, they arrested and jailed her - because United Arab Emirates law states that rape victims are guilty of illicit sex, which is illegal.

The UAE isn’t the only country with that kind of law, so if you’re living in that situation, reaching out to someone overseas online can be a sensible idea.

#2 When you need little support boosts

Face-to-face sessions are an hour. With online therapy, you have flexibility. Some of my clients book 30 minute calls. These work well if there's an ongoing crisis or if you need top up boosts but not a whole session.

These can be set up in advance, or you fire off a quick email or WhatsApp and we set it up as soon as we both can, usually in 24 or 48 hours. Working online means flexibility.

When there's a massive cultural gap...

#3 When you are out of your culture

Twenty years ago when I moved to Malaysia, I went to see a therapist to say, “I’ve just moved here from Europe, I just got married, I’ve just changed careers, and that’s all been okay but now my parents are splitting up because my dad has a mistress. Help me!” He said, “Your mum should accept your father having a second wife.”

Enough said, right? Complete mic drop. Therapy's no good if it misses the cultural plot twists in your story.

When there's a massive cultural gap...

Bottom line: If you’re far away from home, as a digital nomad, expat, or foreign student then online therapy is for you.

Am I the therapist for you? I am Scottish-Dutch, married to an American, lived and worked in Europe for 25 years and in South East Asia for the other 25 years, so I can think in West and East.

When family fireworks, expat whirlwinds, or those 'wait, is that normal here?' moments have you reeling (Malaysia to Middle East, I've got the miles), contact me. We'll sort it, with a side of proper perspective—and probably a giggle or two as well.

Message me today via email ellen.whyte@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +44 7514 408143 for your free 15-minute consultation.