Anxiety workshop to address “the new pandemic”

OCEAN Shores social scientist Jules Allen will bring her interactive workshop Anxiety Hack: The Toolkit to Byron Bay for the first time on Tuesday, June 17.

Held at Marvell Hall, the session offers practical tools to manage anxiety, drawing on neuroscience and Allen’s personal experience. It is suitable for people aged 12 and over — whether they experience anxiety themselves or want to support a loved one.

Allen has previously run the workshop in Melbourne and said she hoped to host more sessions in the Northern Rivers.

“I hope to run more up here as I am well aware of the desperate need,” she said.

Allen graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science from Southern Cross University in 2009 and was named the university’s Outstanding Alumnus of the Year in 2017. She believes anxiety has become the “new pandemic.”

“COVID-19 was a real tipping point in the dramatic escalation of cases of anxiety,” she said. “Given that anxiety is essentially a fear of the unknown, a global pandemic where no-one knew what to expect was the perfect recipe. In this region, we were further impacted by the floods creating even greater uncertainty. Since then, anxiety has become a common household term. People treat it like it’s normal. It’s not normal or necessary. You can live a fabulous life free of the crippling symptoms.”

Allen said she suffered severe anxiety 15 years ago and found that none of the recommended approaches at the time helped.

“I stumbled across this just over 10 years ago,” she said. “I have not suffered anxiety since and I have taught this approach to hundreds, possibly thousands, of people.”

Her presentation is grounded in neuroscience and offers a 12-step, solutions-based approach to understanding and overcoming anxiety. The session is suitable for people aged 12 and older, whether they experience mild, moderate, chronic or social anxiety, or want to support a loved one who does.

Anxiety Hack: The Toolkit will take place at Marvell Hall on Tuesday, June 17, from 7pm to 9pm.

Tickets are $80.

For more information or to book, visit julesallen.com.au