ANXIETY IS A complex but common complaint that most people suffer from at some point in their lives. And let’s be honest, the past 11 months haven’t helped any of us.
But it can be useful to get to know this internal intruder. What happens in the body when Anxiety strikes? How should you handle the rollercoaster? And how can you ease things over time?
When Anxiety strikes, what’s going on?
Panic, that familiar surge of fear… These scary sensations do nothing to ease the onset of Anxiety. Often, the physical symptoms that accompany those initial uneasy feelings can snowball into full panic mode. So, what’s going on in your body?
Although it may not feel like it, your body is activating a highly-sophisticated response. The chemical processes that help you respond to a real or imagined fear are vast and include dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline.
Breathing gets faster, your heart rate increases, and you may experience palpitations and perspiration, a digestive upset, headaches, or a loss of appetite. This can lead to fatigue, troubled sleep, and muscular aches and pains.
Also, anxiety is linked to longer-term conditions such as insomnia, digestive problems, chronic pain, depression, or substance misuse. Anxiety can also be a symptom of an unrelated condition, such as diabetes, thyroid, and heart disease.
Short-term solutions
Picture the scene: you feel fearful of an upcoming situation. Anxiety takes hold and what started as a whisper of unease now takes the form of a gut-wrenching fear that threatens to root you to the spot until it passes. What should you do?
Pause. Be ruthless with that racing mind as you breathe in for a count of four and out for a count of four, focusing on nothing else. If you can, do this for one full minute.
This technique has bought you some time. Now ask yourself the question, ‘Am I in genuine danger, or is there a small possibility that this is a little bit like a faulty car alarm going off?’
If you can, walk a few steps. Focus only on the sensation of your feet on the ground beneath you. And then try and move to your next task. Whether that’s joining a work meeting, taking a stroll, or popping to the shop, try and take that courageous step into the next part of your day.
Long-term strategies
Become the boss of your Anxiety. Your narrative might sound something like this: ‘Yes, I know, I suffer from you, Anxiety, but from now on, you will be known as The A Word. You are a symptom, and I will treat you as such. I am the one who makes plans and decides if we cancel, rearrange or follow through. You can pump out all the chemicals you like but know this: life will go on’.
Regular exercise is an essential strategy. It doesn’t need to be intense; even a brisk walk can promote sufficient brain chemical activity to enhance your mood and successfully distract you. If you are not doing it already, then carve out a minimum of 15 minutes a day for an activity that raises your heart rate.
It’s also worth trying mindfulness, something nearly all of us know about now, but few do correctly. In its simplest terms, mindfulness is the practice of remaining in the present moment. Focusing on bodily sensations, feelings, and thoughts (thought processes, rather than thought content), that racing head and churning gut may subside. Developing an instinctive mindfulness attitude and response takes practice, but the effects will be evident from the start.
It’s also essential to build a network. Not just of friends, but all sorts of allies. An anxiety support group may serve you well when it comes to voicing your anxiety experience. The power of identification is vast and will offer solutions. Or you could join a local volunteering group. Saving the world may not be on your schedule. Still, volunteering groups tend to attract warm, welcoming, competent individuals who provide the perfect antidote, in a new setting, to all that rumination and projection.
Last Resort
If all else fails, then reach out for more help – your GP, a counsellor, older relative, or trusted friend – pick up the phone. Consider tapping into the insightful information held by Anxiety UK and Mind.
More telephone support is available 24/7 from The Samaritans – who can help you not only deal with an SOS situation but can also point you in the right direction for longer-term support.
