The first in an occasional Nub News series from Ian Murton, a highly-qualified hypnotherapist who specialises in helping people to overcome anxiety and insomnia, so they can look forward to enjoying life with confidence.

Read on for Ian's expert help in decoding and dealing with anxiety.

The anxiety paradox

We consider ourselves to be 21st Century creatures - most of us own cars, a host of devices and we can fly to the other side of the world in a day, writes Ian Murton

It's hard to imagine us living any other way, but our early ancestors certainly did. The world they lived in was far removed from our daily lives, as a result they developed and thought from a negative threat based brain.

Their brain was on red alert constantly scanning for danger and when they sensed danger it triggered an unconscious fight/ flight response.

Stress hormones increased their heart and breathing rate and blood flow was diverted to their muscles to help them should they need to fight or flea. Having this lightning fast, automated response no doubt is a contributing factor to why as humans we are here today.

This fight/flight response is hardwired into the primitive part of our brain. When it's triggered we can't think with the more intellectual, logical part of our brain.

The issue we have is that anxiety isn't just a response to one life threatening event. It can be built up over time and when it does we think from our primitive brain which can only think with either anger, anxiety or depression. 

This part of our brain will always see things from the worst possible perspective, it's obsessional, vigilant and always on red alert.

Once it's perceived something as a threat, it wants to remind you of it all the time, in its mistaken belief that in doing so it's keeping you safe from it. In our modern world it gets things very wrong.

It can perceive so many different things as a threat: a driving test, a social occasion, leaving the house or getting on a plane are just a few examples.

So this part of the brain that is vital for us in responding to a life threatening situation becomes our biggest enemy. 

If you do find yourself suffering from a particular ruminating thought, then you can use this method to help remove it from your mind.

Your unconscious mind works with images and sounds. The first thing to do is to visualise some kind of STOP sign to halt the thought in its tracks. You then need to imagine attaching this thought to an object such as a tennis ball. Next visualise this tennis ball being hit far away in the distance and attach a whooshing sound to it. 

With repetition this thought will be removed from your conscious thought thereby helping you to create less anxiety.

By Ian Murton HPD, DSFH, AfSFH Reg, NCH Reg, CNHC Reg

To find out more visit Ian's website here