Having Anxiety Stinks!
Webster Dictionary’s definition of anxiety:
1 : fear or nervousness about what might happen
2 : fearful concern or interest <anxiety to succeed>
American Psychological Association defines it this way:
Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.
Anyone who has experienced it knows how frustrating and debilitating it can be. Anxiety can protrude its ugly head because of various reasons. It doesn’t even have to be something really serious for anxiety to pop up.
Mild Anxiety
Having a flat tire is a good example of a small situation that could lead to anxiety. Some people may think that a flat tire is not a big deal, and go about changing the tire or make a call for some help to come.
Other people might have a wave of sudden fear, and wonder what they are going to do. That fear will then make the situation scarier, and the person may not be able to think very clear at first.
Then of course it depends on if it happens at night, or during the day, and the area where you are at the time. These couple factors can play a role in how much anxiety a person will feel during this situation. Now if the person’s tire is changed and no other problems arise, that level of anxiety in my opinion is considered mild.
Another example would be receiving a past-due bill in the mail. If you are someone who cares about having their bills paid on time, this notice can affect you in two ways. One person might get angry about it, and another person might again have that wave of fear or panic come over them.
The angry person’s anxiety raises through the roof until they find out the reasoning for the notice. The fearful person may again pause and wonder why they received this notice before doing anything about it. The panic or fear feeling slows down the action process much like the angry person, but that feeling of dread seems stronger.
In both cases though, once the reasoning for the late notice is understood the anxiety level drops. And may later be looked at as it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Severe Anxiety
In my opinion, severe anxiety has got to be one of the worst things someone can have or experience. I have personally experienced panic attacks which can stem from severe anxiety, and it is not fun.
One example of severe anxiety is being afraid to go out into a public place. What might happen to someone who experiences this is, their heart races, nervous shaking, and labored breathing. They might also have a full-blown panic attack which involves, what I mentioned above as well as, nausea, vomiting, and chest pain.
Some people might think that going out in public is no big deal to them so why is it to others?
Well, it’s different for everyone. But most of the time, a person who struggles with public relations has had a traumatic experience. Because of this experience, they no longer feel comfortable in a public place.
Another example of severe anxiety would be worrying about everything all of the time. For some people, they can’t help how they feel. When a person worries about how their day is going to be every day it can take a toll on them. They might worry about something as simple as when the mailperson is going to arrive that day.
A person who worries non-stop might have trouble sleeping, be more irritable, feel fidgety, have tense muscles, and be fearful of their future. I can not imagine how it would feel to worry constantly like that.
Tips To Cope With Anxiety
If you have mild anxiety, which many of us experience at least once in our life… Here are a couple of tips that might help.
Stop and Analyze.
Before you panic, stop and analyze the situation. Let’s go back to the flat tire situation. If that happens, stop and think about how it is only a flat tire and that you can take care of the situation without panicking. You can either fix it or call for help. You can do it!
Deep Breathing.
Breathing is a natural thing but if you have some anxiety, taking deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth about 5-7 times can help you to relax. When you focus on this breathing technique, it will take your focus off of your anxiety and help you to calm down. And you don’t have to wait until you are in a full panic to do it. Do it anytime.
Listen To Calming Music.
When you listen to music or even calming sounds, it puts your thoughts into a whole new perspective. For example; you have some anxiety about how your shift at work is going to go tonight. Put on some of your softer music and it will automatically make you listen to the words or feel the beat. In turn, it takes your mind temporarily off work which then reduces your anxiety.
If you have severe anxiety please seek some help.
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