Anxiety 101: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and How to Respond
It’s the start of a new year. Time to start fresh and open a whole new calendar. Take a deep breath. Breathe in renewal and refresh. This year will be different. Not like last year. This year will be calmer and less chaotic. Less stressful. Right?
Suddenly, your thoughts turn to the state of the world. The uncertainty. The unresolved questions from last year. You feel on edge, restless, tense. Your palms become sweaty and your heart starts beating faster than it typically does. Your breathing is also quicker. Your stomach feels churny and flip-floppy at the same time. On top of this, you’re feeling a sense of foreboding or doom, like something bad is about to happen.
What is this? What is going on?
What Anxiety Is
You’re experiencing anxiety — and this is completely normal. Anxiety is a natural response that occurs in the body when we feel worried, uneasy, or fearful. It involves increases in adrenaline and cortisol, the body’s natural stress hormones.
While anxiety can feel intense and uncomfortable, it is not dangerous in and of itself. The uncertainty of the world and current events can be scary, and your body is simply doing its job — trying to protect you.
This feeling is temporary. It will pass. You will feel calmer and more like yourself again.
What Anxiety Is Not
Typical anxiety does not always present as a sudden panic attack or intense hyperventilation. It also should not continuously escalate, feel completely overwhelming, or persist without relief. If anxiety begins to feel unmanageable, worsens over time, or significantly interferes with daily functioning, this may be something different and is worth discussing with a mental health provider and/or your primary care provider (PCP).
How It Shows Up
Common ways anxiety can show up include but are not limited to:
Physical symptoms: rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, fatigue, upset stomach, muscle tension, trouble sleeping
Emotional symptoms: nervousness, dread, restlessness, irritability, sense of impending danger
Mental symptoms: difficulty concentrating of focusing, mind going blank, constant worry
How to Respond
So what do you do when you feel anxiety? Here are four things to do:
Breathe. Inhale slowly, hold for four seconds, exhale slowly. Repeat two or three times. Feel your body relaxing and returning to regulation. If you are hyperventilating, please don’t do this until your breath is back to a more normal rhythm. Deep breathing provides oxygen to the brain and calms our nervous system. Hyperventilating is over-oxygenating the brain and we don’t want you passing out.
Recognize what’s in your control. We cannot control what’s going to happen in the outside world, but we can control what goes on in our inner world. In other words, we can control what happens in our immediate daily lives. We are in control over what we wear and eat, where we work, what we say to and do with others. When we are feeling anxiety, it’s important to remember to stay present and focus on what’s in our control, not what isn’t.
Give yourself self compassion. It’s okay to feel the way that you do. Again, it’s the body’s natural response to stress, worry and fear. So, give yourself some grace and patience. Be gentle with yourself. Let yourself know that everything will be okay, and you’re not alone.
Talk to a mental health provider. Be sure to let your mental health provider, therapist or counselor know how you’re feeling. If you don’t have one, consider looking for one. Psychology Today is a great resource to use and can offer you with many good options that match your preference, insurance and your location.