Anxiety, worry, and stress are present in most people’s lives. At some point, stress affects us all. It’s inevitable. These feelings are a response to the uncertainty of future events. Despite their negative effect on mental health, there are some situations where anxiety may be helpful.
WHEN ANXIETY IS GOOD FOR YOU?
If you’re having a stressor in your life, it’s appropriate to be anxious. It keeps you motivated and excited about what life’s going to bring. It can even help with making better decisions and prepare for challenges. It makes you aware of yourself and others.
Anxiety is meant to protect you from danger and allow you to react faster to emergencies. Living without that feeling could be a bit problematic. For example it could slow down reactions in dangerous situations. As Madeleine L’Engle said ‘Only a fool is not afraid’.
DO YOU SUFFER FROM ANXIETY?
Anxiety is normal and not so bad unless it starts causing undesirable consequences. Unfortunately, for some people stress is persistent and unreasonable. It doesn’t go away when the stressful moment ends. The fast pace of life, which gives a lot of stress every day doesn’t help to keep a peaceful mind either. When the feeling stays with you for too long it’s definitely not good for your health.
Anxiety can affect emotions or even contribute to negative thoughts. Symptoms may also include restlessness, lack of focus, concentrating difficulty, digestive problems, and changes in sleep patterns. Since the body doesn’t get enough sleep it might have a big impact on chronic fatigue.
The anxiety might even get worse over time and become so severe that it starts to wear you down physically and psychologically. It could even cause excessive feelings of stress about everyday things like going to school or work. At that point anxiety leads to serious impairment in mental health and social life.
HOW TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY?
Are you feeling that anxiety is out of your control? Here’s what steps you can take right away to ease symptoms and help you get out of that situation.
1. Identify the reason. Whether it’s work, family, or financial problems you need to know what has caused the problem if you want to efficiently deal with it. The truth is, anything can make you feel anxious. You need to remember, that everyone is different. For some people buying a house wouldn’t be a problem. Other people get nervous when it comes to starting a conversation with a stranger. You need to look through your life and think about what situation you feel anxious. Identify what could be the main cause of your problem. Write down all possible solutions that may help you and think which one would be the best for you to apply. Don’t avoid situations that make you anxious. They can make you even more nervous the next time they happen to you. Instead, confront the feared situation.
2. Talk to someone. Tell your friends or family how you’re feeling. Even a small chat could help you find a solution. You might be surprised how relieved you would feel after an honest conversation. But, if you’re shy and find it a bit difficult to talk to the closest people about your problems, consider a specialist. Go to a physician or therapist for professional help. Don’t be afraid. There’s nothing better than feeling well with yourself and be freed from any mental issues. You may not realize how many people actually use this kind of service.
3. Get enough sleep. Sleep regularly and consistently as much as your body needs to. It’s a must for your physical health and emotional wellbeing. It puts you in a better mood and helps you reduce stress. The better you sleep, the better your ability to stay calm. It is significant when you’re dealing with anxiety. Sleep also gives time for the body to relax. It allows your body to do all the hard work. During sleep your body repairs damage caused by stress and other harmful exposures. It can also have an impact on the serotonin level. People with a lack of this hormone are more likely to suffer from depression.
4. Accept that you can’t control everything. Here’s the fact: You can’t control most of the things that are happening in the world. You have no control over other people’s behavior. You can’t force things to go your way. But it’s up to you how you react to them. To have the most influence, focus on changing your attitude and behavior. Sometimes all you need to do is to get a new perspective on old things.
5. Avoid alcohol. While alcohol is known as a great mood improver due to its sedative effect that helps you feel more at ease, it is not good for you to drink it while having anxiety. Alcohol changes the level of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain. It can lead to worsening anxiety. While alcohol may actually reduce anxiety, it’s only a temporary solution. However, in long-term alcohol will increase the level of anxiety. It may cause panic attacks as well.
6. Take a time-out, exercise daily. Find some time for yourself. Listen to music, get a massage, practice yoga, meditate. Mindful meditation can train your brain to dismiss anxious thoughts whenever they appear. Start doing a small work-out every day. Find an activity that you enjoy. It will help you maintain your health and make you feel better about your body. Exercising gives time away from worries, so it’s a good distraction from bad thoughts.
It doesn’t matter in what moment in life you’re now. You need to realize that there is a way out of every situation. If you put enough effort into working on yourself, you’ll overcome every issue you’re struggling with now. Your life is in your hands. Choose wisely what decisions you make to live it happily.