Anxiety is worrying about the future, what might happen in the different scenarios we play over and over in our minds. Feeling that sense of dread when something may not go the way you would hope. Fear and unease in situations that we perceive to be dangerous, inducing the “flight or fight” response and that accompanying surge of adrenaline. When anxiety occurs this surge of adrenaline causes the physical symptoms we often feel, such as, dizziness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, nausea, irritability and restlessness leading to insomnia and fatigue.
An anxiety disorder is a prolonged feeling of anxiety over time, which is debilitating and very intense. There are different types of anxiety disorder; panic attacks, phobias, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, separation anxiety, illness anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. The causes of anxiety are all different and many people have more than one anxiety disorder.
During episodes of intense anxiety we often feel disconnected from our minds. For me, I feel like my mind has taken control and nothing else is real. It can be very difficult to come back into reality, back into the present moment. I find myself ruminating a lot, but have learnt to step away and analyse the scenario I am replaying.
I ask myself questions about it and I do this in the mirror; “What is the worst that can happen?”, “If that happens then what?” and so on. I try to rationalise the thoughts in order to see that they are just thoughts. It is not my reality! Also, I find this really helps me to analyse the perceived damage this may cause. Although it is difficult to step back and ask yourself these questions, it gets easier over time, I highly recommend you try this.
So what else can we do to help ourselves?
Meditation is very helpful, but during an anxiety attack it is very difficult.
Performing tasks mindfully is much more attainable.
Creative hobbies allow you to change your focus, be mindful and in the present moment. They are also challenging your brain so you need to focus and this helps to develop critical thinking.
Thinking about your problems in a different way, seeing the bigger picture and journaling can really help to uncover the root cause of the anxiety. Once you understand the root cause, you can recognise when an anxiety attack is coming, and hopefully be able to address the issues before the anxiety gets out of hand.
Talking to a therapist can help you to heal the root cause of your anxiety.
Having a routine in the morning and evening has really helped me, when I sleep properly I am much less prone to anxiety.
I try to exercise or stretch in the morning and practice gratitude daily.
I find that I am less anxious everyday, and this builds up over time. Taking care of your body and mind is essential to healing anxiety.