How does Anxiety impact our thoughts, behaviour and physical symptoms?

When we feel anxious, it often becomes too hard to fathom or even understand what’s going on inside of us. It often compromises our ability to be able to function healthily on a daily basis, in every aspect of our lives.

Did you know that we can experience anxiety in many different ways;

  • Our thoughts and feelings
  • Our behaviours
  • Physical symptoms

Our anxious thoughts can cause us to feel overwhelmed, sad, fearful, angry or frustrated.  Usually we are focused on an immediate event or something that is far off in the future.  Most of these thoughts we experience often start with the phrase, “what if”, for example:

  • WHAT IF I can't get all my work completed on time?
  • WHAT IF my partner leaves me?
  • WHAT IF I fail my exam?

Anxiety also affects our behaviours;

  • We cry a lot (so we avoid difficult conversations)
  • We are unmotivated and can't be bothered (we call in sick for work)
  • We overeat (our health becomes compromised)
  • We don't go out and stay at home, or we hide away in our room (we become isolated and lonely)

And the last thing that anxiety can do, is cause us physical symptoms such as;

  • A racing heart
  • Sweating a lot
  • Disturbed  sleep
  • Headaches/ Stomach aches

Does any of this sound familiar?  Does it resonate with you?.... 

You may be surprised to know that we all do actually need anxiety in our lives. I know that its not a particularly pleasant prospect as none of us want to feel any of the feelings that come with anxiety if we can help it. As I have said, anxiety can intrude in our lives and can stop us from participating in a variety of experiences such as having a job or career, pursuing meaningful activities, making friends or dating. BUT, Anxiety is normal. It’s a normal reaction from within, and we can’t help it.

But HOW, I hear you say. How can anxiety be a normal reaction ? How can it literally dictate how we live our lives?  To understand that would be to understand what’s actually going on in our brain when we are experiencing anxiety.  So in next weeks blog, we will talk about what’s going on within our brains and how its actually trying to keep us safe.

 

Need to talk?.....

 

For more information about how anxiety makes us feel, check out the below videos: