Learn to control anxiety before it controls you
Anxiety is an undefined, unexplained fear, also called internal aversive stimulus. Most people have experienced this unsettling fear along with the helplessness of not being able to control it. It is a fierce internal struggle, which comes with accusatory thoughts that you will not be able to resist.
People feel anxiety about different scenarios according to their particular fears. But in general, anxiety occurs when there are expectations, it can be for a trip, a business, a new relationship, a conversation you have to have with someone, etc. But we must understand the difference between anxiety and fear.
When we are afraid, our body’s reaction is to fight or run away. With fear, the situation is clear, you are in front of a snake or a gun, what do you prefer? Fighting or running away? You can clearly identify what you fear and decide.
But anxiety is an indefinite fear, it cannot be explained, we only feel an internal aversive stimulus. We are not sure what causes anxiety, and this prevents us from having the option of moving away from the stimulus that causes it.
Learn to identify the symptoms of anxiety
- Thoughts: thinking in ordinary activities is accelerated, you think in all directions, without control or clarity. You are mentally active and it is difficult for you to judge things. The feeling of fear can become so strong that it makes you unable to relate, travel, work, drive, and so on.
- Behavior: Anxiety is characterized by the fact that it leads us to make repetitive movements. The most common are walking back and forth, rubbing hands, scratching heads, biting nails, crossing arms and legs, etc.
- Physiological characteristics: excessive sweating, even the smell of our body’s secretions is much stronger when we are anxious. We experience tachycardia, feeling of trembling and internal agitation, nausea, feeling of emptiness in the stomach, body tension, feeling of numbness in the body.
It is not normal to live in anguish, depression and tension. You need a psychologist to offer you professional help in managing your anxiety and dealing with your symptoms.
How do you know when to seek help?
First, since anxiety is an undefined fear, your first task is to investigate where it comes from, that is, what makes you anxious. If your level of anxiety is mild and occasional, you may have many tools to ease the discomfort this feeling produces. You can meditate, work on your breathing, do yoga, therapy, etc. All of these can help control and reduce anxiety.
But if the level of anxiety generates harm and much suffering, then you need to find a network of multidisciplinary professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists, homeopathic doctors, flower therapists, nutritionists, health and physical activity professionals. With the support of this network you can restore your state of well-being and quality of life.
There’s no single way to treat anxiety, but you can try the recommendations until you find what works for your body, mind, and feelings. Don’t push it, you can do it little by little.