Author – Ms. Gauri S. Pillai
What is anxiety?
Tackling anxiety can seem impossible often. It is often a feeling of fear, uneasiness, or dreadfulness that one can feel. For instance, as a student, you might be anxious just before an exam. Similarly, one might feel anxious just before a job interview or even when faced with a hard task at work. These are all normal reactions to the stress you might be feeling. In such situations it can lead to developing an anxiety disorder, getting professional help is advisable to ensure that such a situation does not take place.
For more information: Anxiety
Have you experienced these?
- Feeling tense, restless or nervous
- Sudden overwhelming panic
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Dizziness
- Nauseousness
- Worried thoughts
- Feeling of “knots” in the stomach
- Raising heartbeats
- Rapid Breathing
Have these signs shown in your daily life?
- Frequent urination or diarrhoea
- Disturbance in the sleeping pattern
- Muscle tension or twitches
- Change in appetite
Therefore, it is advisable that you consider meeting a mental health professional.
How should I know if I’m having a panic or anxiety attack?
Anxiety Attack
- Typically followed by a situation that could be stressful.
- Symptoms have a tendency to persist for a longer period of time
- Anxiety usually builds gradually.
Panic Attack
- May not always have a stressful situation which triggers the attack.
- Panic attacks usually take place abruptly. Often may occur out of the blue.
- The symptoms usually have a tendency to lessen in a few minutes.
Reasons for Anxiety
- A demanding job
- Crowds
- Caffeine
- Medication
- Remembrance of a stressful/ painful event
- Exam
- Job interview
- Phobias
- Alcohol or drug withdrawal
- Thyroid imbalance
Risk factors to keep in mind:
- Are you going through a stressful time at work?
- Have you experienced or further witnessed any kind of traumatic event, in fact, in your childhood or recently?
- Did a life-changing event like the death of a loved one or the loss of someone close or divorce occur in the recent past?
- Are there conflicts in your family which could potentially affect you?
- Have been experiencing financial issues recently?
Tackling anxiety
Happy Place
- One of the ways you can bring yourself down from an anxiety attack on the spot is by closing your eyes and imagining your happy place.
- Your happy place essentially does not have to be a place, it could be a person, a home, or even a food item.
- The important factor is that “your happy place” is something that gives you a sense of comfort.
Relaxation
- Trying to relax by focusing on every muscle in your body and relaxing it. This would instantly lighten your mood and make you feel less anxious.
- One factor one must keep in mind is to try to focus on more positive things and replace your negative thoughts as anxiousness often brings a lot of negative emotions, feelings and thoughts which might affect your day-to-day activities.
Recognizing and Accepting
- One of the ways to manage anxiety if you have already experienced it is to remind yourself that these symptoms, even though they may feel excruciating to experience, would pass and that it will all be fine.
Activities that can help tackle feelings of anxiousness:
- Meditation.
- Listening To Music
- Reading Books
- Trying New Things Keeping Yourself Engaged
Lifestyle changes which can be beneficial
- Regulate the consumption of alcohol and caffeine along with the use of drugs.
- Follow a balanced diet
- Stay active
- Practice mindfulness
- Include yoga and meditation
- Make an effort to recognize the source of stress in your life.
Getting Professional Help
Nonetheless, if similar feelings are affecting your day-to-day life as well as activities, meet a mental health professional. Mental health professionals will provide you with an understanding and accepting environment. Subsequently, a professional can help you better understand as well as manage anxiety which reduces the interference of these symptoms as safely and efficiently as possible.