Anxiety: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Handle It
Anxiety presents itself throughout our lives. It affects, controls, dictates many things we do and how we feel. Everybody has anxiety from time to time, whether it be dealing with stress or change in life. At some point, many of us feel worry and fear; it is only normal. However, sometimes anxiety stays with us a little too long or gets out of hand. Understanding anxiety, what it is, why it happens, and how to deal with it can help us in coping with it in our every day lives.
Defining Anxiety
Anxiety is the response or reaction to stressful or threatening situations or stimuli. At times, it may seem that everything is out of control. It can cause worry, nervousness, and fear. It is completely normal to feel a little anxious before a test, presentation, exam, or big event. After the event passes, the associated anxiety fades away. However, for some people, anxiety lasts a lot longer than expected, disrupting sleep, work, school, relationships, and other things that we do daily.
When it occurs, anxiety can affect everyone differently, both mentally/emotionally and physically. Mentally and emotionally, anxiety can cause excessive worrying or feeling jumpy or fidgety. A person can also feel difficulty focusing, being easily irritated or aggravated, and constantly fearing the worst-case scenario. Controlling these feelings can sometimes be challenging.
Physically, anxiety can cause a fast or pounding heart, sweating, shaking, muscle tension, headaches, dizziness, stomach discomfort or pain, nausea, difficulty sleeping, and shortness of breath. Having some of these symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have an anxiety disorder. Consulting with a medical professional can help determine the underlying cause of these symptoms.
There are various and numerous possible causes of anxiety. It can stem from high levels of stress, difficult life circumstances or events, major life changes, poor sleeping habits, environmental or genetic factors, medical factors and conditions, and other biological reasons. It is common for people to have more than one cause for their anxiety. Sometimes, everyone may feel anxious, especially in specific situations, and it is completely normal. It usually fades away after overcoming these challenges and circumstances. However, anxiety becomes a problem when it lasts for too long, when it cannot be controlled, or when it begins to interfere with day-to-day life.
Feeling anxious and nervous before an important presentation or exam is completely normal. However, anxiety should not prevent people from sleeping well and going to school, work, or other daily activities. If anxiety interferes with these aspects of life and seems uncontrollable, it may be best to seek professional help. Here are some helpful tips for coping with anxiety:
1. Taking Deep Breaths
When feeling anxious, try to take a break in a quiet room and focus on steady, controlled breathing. Try slowing down your breathing as much as you can. Paying attention to your breath can help ground you and give you a moment to collect your thoughts when feeling overwhelmed.
2. Getting Enough Sleep
Getting sufficient sleep on a daily basis is crucial for maintaining good mental health. Try to sleep and wake up at a consistent time every day and unwind before going to bed. Make sure to get adequate rest each day. Consult with a medical professional if sleep is being disrupted by anxiety.
3. Exercising Daily
Exercising is necessary for physical health.
However,
doing fun activities like exercising can also help keep our minds healthy. A regular exercise or fitness regime can greatly help improve our overall mood. It does not have to be strenuous or hard. Most of the time, it is better to do something manageable on a consistent basis rather than something very hard but done only occasionally.
4. Eating a Healthy Diet
Eating a well-balanced diet full of healthy foods can provide the body with all the nutrients it needs. Some food groups to make sure to include are the following:
Having regular and healthy meals can also help establish a proper daily routine.
5. Limiting Caffeine
Some people may feel more anxious and jittery when consuming food and drinks with caffeine. Coffee, sodas, teas, and other caffeinated drinks and foods can contribute to increased anxiety levels in some people. It can be helpful to limit the intake of caffeinated products if they make anxiety worse. Paying attention to what you eat or drink is also important, as everyone is different and everyone can react differently to certain foods.
6. Talking It Out
Sometimes it can be very helpful to simply talk about how you are feeling. There is no shame in asking for help or support, and talking to someone can often help make things seem easier to handle. You may want to talk to someone you trust, like a friend or a family member, a teacher or counselor, or another healthcare professional.
7. Breaking Tasks Down Into Manageable Sizes
When presented with a long list of things to do, try breaking them down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This way, a long to-do list is no longer as overwhelming. Doing these smaller tasks one at a time can make things feel much simpler and a lot less stressful.
8. Spending Time Doing Things That Are Enjoyable
A busy schedule may not always give us a lot of time to do things that we enjoy. Make sure to make time for these things. You can set aside a little bit of time every day to do simple relaxing activities, such as reading a book, listening to music, going outside, stretching, journaling, spending time with people you trust, being in the moment, or other activities that can be enjoyable and relaxing.
9. Identifying Triggers
Everyone has different things that trigger their anxiety. It might be helpful to make a note of what triggers anxiety most of the time or what situations lead to increased anxiety. You can also write down how you felt at the time and what helped you feel better. This can help you know what causes your anxiety and possibly serve as useful information to a healthcare professional if anxiety is interfering with day to day life.