21/11/2025
FEELING ANXIOUS? OVERWHELMED? HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING? YOUâRE NOT ALONE IN NEEDING A SLOW WEEKEND
As a lived experience counsellor for the past 18 years Mike Carroll, of MC Counselling in Traralgon/ Sale specialises in addiction, mental health and relationship counselling.
He says that more Gippslanders than ever, including people who have never struggled before with their mental health, are suffering with anxiety and other mental health conditions at present.
A turbulent, uncertain post pandemic world, loss of trust in systems and institutions, loneliness, illness, drug and alcohol abuse are just some of factors compounding the seemingly endless struggle fatigue of the nationâs ongoing cost-of-living predicaments.
âPeople feel out of control, that their lives have been turned upside down, thereâs been record amounts of divorce and relationship breakdowns, people not knowing whatâs going on, what the future holds- itâs all really scary stuff for people, not to mention job lossesâ, says Mike.
With diagnosed anxiety disorders impacting around 301 million people worldwide, including 3.5 million Australians each year, Mike describes constant multi-tasking, phone scrolling and the âracing mindâ that comes with constantly shifting short sharp attention patterns, as contributing to the anxiety epidemic.
He encourages people to âslow downâ, by being mindful of their movements, thoughts, sensations and actions, and appoint specific time on the weekends to stop, recharge and reset for the next week.
âWhen weâre anxious we donât want to do things a lot of the time, which makes it really challengingâ, he said.
âBut mindfulness, breathing, just stopping and being in the present moment and observing what is going on around us is important. Putting the phone down, spending time with yourself, with other people, and making it your mission to give your undivided attention to a conversation â thereâs just so many things we can do to improve, itâs about doing less, not more.â
Whether it be making a cup of tea, at the speed of tai chi, or allowing more time than necessary to complete tasks, he said that slowing down your actions into mindful steps and sensations to âsavour the momentâ, can help with anxiety as well as addictive behaviour patterns.
âIf your someone who comes home and literally slams down a couple of beers, try actually having that first beer slowly instead of racing to get to the next one- enjoy the taste of the beer. Over time itâs going to be a whole different experience for you, because youâre actually respecting the beer instead of doing something that makes you feel good in the momentâ, he said.
He advises people experiencing anxiety to not self-medicate with alcohol or caffeine, but to engage in exercise- or even âbasic movementâ -as a means of alleviating stress instead.
Mike says that the most basic thing we can do to help with anxiety is to learn to regulate our breathing, with longer deeper inhales and exhales, as opposed to shallow breathing.
With plenty of free apps, podcasts, meditations and websites available online, such as âCalmâ and âSelf Timerâ, with anxiety controlling techniques such as belly breathing, box breathing, he suggests people 'google around' to explore free resources that work for them.
He said that getting into the habit of doing breathing exercises every 5-6 hours, can instantly help bring us back to earth from a prolonged space of heightened awareness.
Other tips that can help reset the nervous system include taking a break from social media and doom scrolling, only âusing the phone as an actual phoneâ, listening to mood soothing music, taking naps when needed, and reading physical books, as the focus of reading inherently calms the mind and slows the breathing.
He said that although it may feel like an effort to keep up social communications with others, connection with other people can be as important as exercising, spending time in nature and getting enough sleep.
âOlder people can learn a lot from the younger generation about being open and transparent about their mental health and wellbeingâ, he said, encouraging people to seek help when they need it - whether it be financial advice, foodbank services or counselling.
'Help is available, you just have to ask for it' he said.
'There are more mental health services available to regional Victorians than ever before, with the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Local free walk in services in Gippsland, and plenty of free resources available online to help people.'
