Anxiety is not just a trend on social media; it is something people suffer with every single day, sometimes without relief.
Anxiety can become a vicious cycle and leave people feeling very stuck and lost in life. Part of this is due to a lack of understanding about what anxiety is, and part of it is not knowing how to cope with the uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations that come with it.
To help you on your journey, here are some important things you need to know about anxiety.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a response in the human body that is very normal. It is activated when you feel threatened. This could be something psychological or something in your environment. Threats are going to be different for everyone, as it will depend on how your brain perceives the thing itself. Anxiety can be characterized as intense feelings of worry, fear, and unease.
The role of anxiety is to keep you safe, but if you are not able to positively move in and out of anxiety states, then it may lead to chronic health issues. When you experience constant anxiety, it can become excessive and difficult to deal with. There are a lot of mental and physical symptoms that come with anxiety, and it can begin to interfere with daily life.
Anxiety can look like:
- Distress
- Racing and worrying thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
- Trouble sleeping
- Avoidance
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Dry mouth
- Dizziness
- Heart palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Stomach upset
- Restlessness
Anxiety will look different for everyone, but there are still physiological changes occurring in the body, which can lead to a whole host of mental, emotional, physical, and behavioral changes. This is because when you perceive a threat in your environment, your body activates the fight or flight response in your nervous system.
The role of the fight or flight response is to help you prepare to fight or run away from danger. This is something that was built into humans to survive a long time ago, but the human body still responds the same now, even to psychological threats. It is an automatic response in your body; it is not something you can turn on and off at will.
When does anxiety become a problem?
Anxiety is an important topic. It is something that your body should be able to move in and out of with ease. However, many people don’t know how to deal with anxiety and stay in that prolonged state. Which is when it can become a big issue. You should consider whether anxiety is impacting you more than it should. Consider whether:
- If it feels really intense or out of proportion to the situation
- It lasts a long time
- It is impacting your work or relationships
- You are now trying to avoid situations because of the anxiety they bring on
- You feel like you cannot cope
What can support anxiety?
Whether anxiety has become a big problem or you want to learn how to prevent it from becoming a problem, here are some important ways you can manage your anxiety.
- Get enough quality sleep
- Exercise regularly
- Eat a healthy diet
- Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga
- Consider therapy to help with the repetitive thought patterns and behaviours
- Support yourself with cannabis
Anxiety can be an issue. Make sure you speak to a health professional first to seek the right support.
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