What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a range of negative thoughts, feelings and experiences. It is a type of fear that manifests creating unwanted thoughts. It is what we feel when we become afraid of what may happen.
Ryan Reynolds opened about the anxiety he experienced whilst filming Deadpool. “I never slept. Or I was sleeping at a perfect right angle – just sitting straight, constantly working at the same time”, he explained.
I totally get what Ryan is saying. At times when we feel stressed, we have a tight deadline at work, and the pressure is mounting, a feeling comes over us, and we feel like we must make sacrifices such as not sleeping to get things done.
And of course, that has detrimental effects on our health.
You’ll be surprised by the amount of people who have anxiety.
According to mentalhealth.org, 10 million people in the UK are affected by anxiety.
“One in six people in the past week experienced a common mental health problem such as depression or anxiety”.
What is anxiety caused by?
Anxiety can be caused by nature and nurture factors.
Nature are biological factors such as genetics. Many studies suggest that genetics does indeed play a role in the development of disorders such as anxiety.
According to Psychology Today, German researchers conducted a study. They found that individuals with anxiety such as a social phobia produced more serotonin (a chemical that contributes to our emotions, appetite, cognitive and autonomic functions) compared with those who do not have the disorder. The researchers believed that the excesses serotonin could increase anxiety, not decrease it as previously thought.
Beside from biology, our environment and lifestyle may also create a level of anxiety. Childhood experiences, such as parental divorce may make us more vulnerable to developing mental health disorders.
Children also learn by observation. I believe as children; we copy what we see. I copied how I saw my mother deal with things that were stressing her out. She didn’t talk about what was bothering her. She let it build up until it becomes too much. I did (sometimes, do) the same. Instead of talking about what caused me stress, I would drink to forget about. Which isn’t the best idea as the alcohol may only heighten your current thoughts and feelings.
Who may develop anxiety?
Anyone can experience anxiety in their lifetime depending on their circumstances; trauma or a form of a trigger. Mental health doesn’t discriminate.
However, some people are more susceptible to developing anxiety than others, as they may have a genetic deposition. A relative may have been diagnosed with anxiety, for example.
What are some symptoms of anxiety?
Everyone experiences symptoms differently. What one may experience the other may not.
Physical symptoms may include:
• Irregular heartbeat
• Tense muscles
• Fast breathing
• Sweating
• Dry mouth
Psychological symptoms include:
• Lack of concentration
• Low self-esteem
• Trouble sleeping
• Feeling irritable
I have experienced sleeping problems (and still do). I had a habit of struggling to get to sleep and staying asleep throughout the night. I recently realised that I grind my teeth far too often. I subconsciously clench down on my jaw several times a day. When I realised that I started doing this, I take a few deep breaths to distract myself and regain my focus on the task at hand as I get easily distracted also.
Treatment
As mentioned, prior, anxiety affects everyone in different ways. Anxiety may come and go for some; however, many people across the country are constantly troubled by anxiety, causing a long-term effect.
Know Yourself
I find it useful to ask myself questions such as, ‘what triggers me?’, ‘what causes me to feel more anxious?’ By finding this out, you would be able to identify possible triggering situations that could create anxiety and avoid these situations or discover ways that you can utilise to reduce your anxiety. For example, I am not a fan of crowds, so if I need to go shopping, I will go when it is less crowded.
Exercise
Exercise really boots my energy and reduces my stress levels quite a bit. It has been proven to aid the reduction of stress. According to anxiety UK, some of the benefits of exercise include less frustration, tension, stress and mental fatigue.
I understand that not everyone likes to go to the gym. Why not try home workouts instead?! Type in-home workouts on youtube; there are millions of videos to choose from so take your pick.
Suppose you’re a complete novice that is ok. Let’s do baby steps. Perhaps listening to music and dance around your room! Not only is it fun, but you’re also burning some calories while you’re doing it. Trust me; it will boost your mood almost immediately.
Eating
Have you ever heard of the phrase: you are what you eat? This is SO true!! I stopped eating meat a couple of years ago because after eating meat, I used to feel super sluggish, tired and just yucky.
Foods and drinks that are high in caffeine can create a level of anxiety. The caffeine will give produce a bit more serotonin which can cause you to become more anxious.
I understand that an energy boost is necessary to get through the day, but please be mindful of your daily intake.
Medication
Some rely on medication to keep them calm. For me, I believe that medication is plan z. I will research every holistic method that can be used to reduce stress and try to implement these techniques into my everyday routine, e.g. counselling. However, medication does have some benefits.
Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed for treating anxiety. It is fast-acting (compared to counselling); however, they are many side effects such as memory problems and headaches. (Side effects impact people differently, so please result to a GP if you are interested in finding out more information)
Overall, medication is considered as temporary; a short term solution when dealing with anxiety but please do some research (don’t just take my word for it) if possible when deciding how best to cope with anxiety.
As mentioned before,…and I will keep mentioning if. ANXIETY DIFFERS BETWEEN EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL. Some may find that medication works for them, whereas others may find that meditation has been equally as helpful.
Make the decision best for YOU.
To those who are reading, if you are experiencing any symptoms mentioned above, please try the tips I used to combat your anxiety.
Talk to a loved one, a trained professional or a person you that trust in when deciding how best to combat anxiety.
Thanks for reading.
Take care.
XO
Great article! I have anxiety too & exercise is my #1 go-to. Thanks for sharing!
Oh yes, exercising definitely helps. I find breathing exercises and meditation to combat anxiety as well. Thanks for reading.
I find running helps with anxiety. Great post. We need more awareness about this issue.
Yes, more awareness is necessary. Thanks for reading.