Silvia Freeman is a Health and Wellbeing Facilitator and an expert in Emotional and Nervous System Regulation
She delivers workshops, events, talks, and programmes on how to manage emotions at work and is founder of Back to Work in 9 hours to reduce absenteeism.
She also delivers Breathworks and Emotional Freedom Technique online classes for Carers First, so we caught up with Silvia about why taking time to look after yourself is so important.
Why is wellbeing important carers?
If we are in a low state of mind it will affect our thoughts, feelings, our body and it determines how we behave. Wellbeing is about caring for yourself in order to care for other people, filling your own cup so that you can give. For carers especially, it is so important they look after their mental health & well-being.
We can relieve stress and anxiety by practising certain techniques. Rest, relaxation, knowing how to emotionally regulate and how to regulate the nervous system are essential to our wellbeing.
What are the benefits of EFT Tapping?
The emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), is a relaxation technique based on the principles of acupuncture. Tapping is an effective, drug-free way to alleviate anxiety, stress, overwhelm etc… Tapping puts you in control of your mental health.
When you are stressed, anxious, or feel like you’re at the point of burnout your focus of attention gets stuck on how you feel – the emotion. This causes the emotion to get blocked. You know you have blocked or stuck emotion when you can’t move on from something when you struggle to let go of how you feel and when you hold yourself back in some way.
During tapping, you are calming the brain’s fear centre and significantly lowering the stress hormone cortisol and adrenalin. Because stress is intimately connected with the immune system, eliminating or reducing it will improve your overall health and wellness. EFT works incredibly quickly in neutralising negative feelings. It reduces anxiety, stress, depression, boost your energy levels, lowers your cortisol, and adrenaline, improves sleep, strengthens your immune system, calms you down and brings the body back into balance and safety, releases negative emotions and helps to regulate the nervous system.
What are the benefits of Breathwork?
Breathwork serves physical, emotional, and psychological purposes. It’s a great practice for our mental health and wellbeing.
Breathwork triggers the body's relaxation process, which calms our bodies' physical responses to anxiety and stressful situations. This modality is very effective helps us to awaken our nervous system and facilitates somatic release. The brain releases endorphins and serotonin. There is a multitude of benefits that can be experienced quickly such as better night’s sleep, reduced anxiety, released stress, tension in the body and helps regulate the central nervous system.
Breathwork also enhances focus and clarity, boosts positivity, better connection and so much more….You will feel recharged and full of energy after each practice. Breathwork helps to lower blood pressure and improves circulation, increases energy and boosts immunity, helps with pain management, improves digestion, releases toxins from the lungs, oxygenates the blood, improves sleep and reduces insomnia, improves lung capacity, helps heal difficult emotions and overcome trauma.
How you can build resilience through these techniques?
We build resilience by practising EFT & Breathwork. These techniques help to activate/stimulate the vagus nerve which promotes relaxation (the parasympathetic nervous). We can strengthen the vagus nerve through regular consistent practice. The stronger the vagus nerve is the better we can bounce back from stress, trauma and adversity. Keeping the vagus nerve strong and balanced can help respond more effectively to a variety of emotional and physiological symptoms.
How did you come to work with Carers first?
It was Ellie Boon who got in touch with me nearly two years ago. We started initially with a few sessions for five different groups of carers. We then progressed with more regular support based on the positive feedback we were receiving from carers. The benefits and the impact these practices are having on carers and their Mental Health and wellbeing are amazing. The feedback is always very positive, inspiring and encourages us to keep these sessions going. I feel very grateful and honoured to be given this wonderful opportunity to serve Carers First. I really enjoy working with you.
Why have I chosen to help with carers?
It’s been nearly two years since I started working with carers. I have compassion and respect for them and what they do. They deserve to look after themselves and learn how to regulate their emotions so that they can feel balanced, feel good, calm and able to function properly. It is wonderful to see them in a more uplifted state after the sessions. It inspires me to see how well they are grasping these tools and techniques that we’ve been practising for a while now and that they can see the benefits for themselves. Every month I get to witness how resilient they are becoming and how much quicker they are able to bounce back from stress.
Talk me through briefly what you do and what you offer.
I offer EFT Tapping also known as Emotional Freedom Technique and Breathwork. I qualified in 2017 as an EFT Practitioner and in 2018 as a Breathwork Facilitator.
Online Help and Advice
Visit our online support section where we have provided advice and guidance on a range of relevant topics to help you in your caring role.