Dealing with Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural response to stress, and it is a necessary response for survival. We need anxiety to keep us away from danger. Imagine hiking in the woods without anxiety and seeing a bear. Without anxiety you would be like “Oh heyyy bear, you’re sooo soft and fluffy and cuddly. Come give me a big hug!”. And CHOMP, SMACK, that’s the end of you. See, anxiety is important but when it becomes persistent and overwhelming, you probably have an anxiety disorder. Recognizing the signs early can help you seek appropriate support and develop effective coping strategies.

Anxiety is best controlled with Mindfulness. Mindfulness is being active and fully attentive in the present moment. It makes sense perfect sense that Mindfulness will decrease anxiety by forcing you to be present and not worry about the future. There are tons of Mindfulness guides out there to help your body relax and decrease anxiety. My favorite book is Mindfulness and Me: A Practical Guide to Living by Kira Markoff, LCSW-C. This book is simple and easy to read. It has over 8 weeks worth of daily practices to help you understand how to bring your body back to the present moment.

If you are experiencing anxiety, it means that you are living too far in the future. You mind is making up tons of “what if” scenarios to keep you in fear and to prevent you from doing the things you want or need to do. If this sounds familiar, start with a grounding technique. Begin by focusing on the present moment. What is going on around you right now? Use your 5 senses. What do you smell right now? What do you hear? Identify things you feel. It could be different textures such as the feeling of the chair you are sitting on or the way your clothes feel. Or you can focus on the actual feelings in your body like any unusual sensations or tension. Use your senses to bring your body back to the present moment and out of the future made up scenarios.

Learn the 5-4-3-2-1 method and use this as often as you can. This is one of the most popular grounding techniques. Its free and easy to use.

Another quick way to decrease anxiety is to manage your thoughts. Cognitive reframing means to change your thoughts in order to change your behavior. If you are experiencing an anxiety attack, you might think “I’m going to die.” You may also believe “I’m not okay.” These thoughts will keep you stuck in a negative thought pattern. In order to calm down, you have to convince your body to calm down. Your behavior will always follow your thoughts. Repeat positive affirmations if you are having a panic attack. Repeat phrases like “I am going to be okay”, “I am strong”, “I can get through anything”.

Trauma Related?

It is extremely possible that your anxiety is related to a past trauma. It is hard to live in the present moment after experiencing a life-threatening situation. Such experiences make it difficult to focus on the here and now. Once you experience a traumatic event, your body gets stuck in the fight or flight response. Your body constantly thinks that there is a problem. It repeatedly makes you feel like you are in danger.

Read more about Trauma, how it effects the body and how to cope here.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Physical Feelings

Anxiety often manifests physically in ways you don’t even realize.

• Rapid heartbeat or palpitations– heart beating fast or your heart feels out of rhythm
• Shortness of breath or hyperventilation– breathing heavy or fast
• Muscle tension, especially in the neck, shoulders, and jaw– Relax your jaw, unclench your teeth. Notice a huge difference? You are holding onto alot of stress.
• Digestive issues like stomachaches, nausea, or diarrhea– People say “I feel sick to my stomach” when they are riddled with anxiety. If you have a loss of appetite, your anxiety is probably severe and needs to be addressed.
• Fatigue and sleep disturbances– The racing thoughts really wear you out! Anxiety will create 1 million made up scenarios and focusing on those scenarios really wears you down. You are so tired from the constant thoughts but when you lay down at night all those thoughts keep you up. It is hard to turn off your brain when you have anxiety.
• Headaches or migraines– The headaches and migraines are primarily from stress and clenching your jaw.
• Excessive sweating– Nervousness
• Trembling or shaking– Nervousness as well. Anxiety makes you feel like something bad is going to happen, so your physical body gets scared.

Cognitive (Thoughts) Feelings

Beyond physical symptoms, anxiety significantly impacts thoughts and emotions:

• Persistent worry that’s difficult to control
• Feeling restless, keyed up, or on edge
• Irritability or mood swings
• Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
• Racing thoughts or catastrophic thinking
• Heightened startle response
• Sense of impending doom or danger
• Overwhelming fear or panic

Behavior Symptoms

Anxiety often changes how we behave and interact with the world. It is almost impossible to feel safe and relax when struggling with anxiety. Anxiety causes you to hyper focus on what could go wrong and forget about what is going right.

• Avoiding situations that trigger anxiety
• Seeking excessive reassurance from others– Asking over and over “Am I going to be okay?” “Is everything okay?”
• Procrastination or difficulty making decisions
• Increased use of substances to cope (alcohol, caffeine, etc.)
• Ritualistic behaviors to reduce anxiety
• Withdrawal from social activities
• Changes in appetite (eating more or less than usual)

Is it time for Professional Help?

While everyone experiences anxiety occasionally, consider reaching out to a healthcare provider when:

• Symptoms persist for weeks or months
• Interferes with daily activities, work, or relationships
• You’re using substances to manage your symptoms– Taking a couple shots to “take the edge off”?- you probably have anxiety. Do you have to drink or take drugs before you go out in public? You probably have severe anxiety.
• You experience panic attacks– Panic attacks literally feel like a heart attack. Find a therapist if you are experiencing this on a daily basis.
• You’re avoiding important activities due to fear or worry– If you stop going outdoors because you are scared that something bad might happen, you are experiencing severe anxiety. A therapist can help you.

Moving Forward

Remember that anxiety is highly treatable through therapy, lifestyle changes, and sometimes medication. The first step toward feeling better is recognizing when anxiety has become problematic and reaching out for support.

If you’re struggling with anxiety, know that you’re not alone—anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions worldwide, affecting millions of people each day.

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