What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried. While stress and anxious feelings are a common response to a situation where we feel under pressure, they usually pass once the stressful situation has passed, or ‘stressor’ is removed.
Everyone feels anxious from time to time. When anxious feelings don't go away, occur more days than not for an extended time, or make it hard to cope with daily life it may be the sign of an anxiety condition.
There are many ways to help manage anxiety and the sooner people with anxiety get support, the more likely they are to recover.
Effects Of Anxiety On The Body
Physical Symptoms
- rapid breathing or heart rate
- lightheadedness or dizziness
- abdominal pain
- indigestion
- chest pain
- fatigue
- insomnia
- headache
- feeling hot and sweaty
Cognitive Symptoms
- difficulty thinking clearly
- mind goes blank
- can't recall or remember things
- anticipate the worst outcomes
- think of all the "what-if's"
- worries about body reactions
- comparing self to others
- racing or obsessive thought
- overthinking
Biological Changes
- Low or unbalanced Serotonin
- Overactive Epinephrine/ Norepinephrine
- Adrenal glands pump high levels of cortisol - the stress hormone
The Function Of Anxiety
Over thousands of years, anxiety evolved to keep us out of danger and has helped us survive as a species. In today's society we have many triggers for acute stress and the body is unable to decipher between a real and percieved threat which leads us to feeling anxious. While anxiety has a purpose and a place it often shows up like an overly friendly friend in an attempt to protect us from a perceived threat unnecessarily.
Helpful Strategies
To Reduce And Manage Anxiety
- Seek professional support with a psychologist and make sure you have an accurate diagnosis
- Practice slow, deep breathing
- Get moving or do some exercise
- Relax your shoulders and roll your neck side to side
- Shake your body
- Do some stretching
- Journal or write it down
- Make sure you follow a daily routine
- Rest and make sure you get enough sleep
- Practice positive self-talk
- Eat a healthy diet
- Practice self-care
