Are You Struggling With Anxiety

The brain and body respond in protective ways during anxious episodes or panic attacks. People can experience anxiety in different ways, depending upon their personality, history, and circumstances in life. There are, however, common symptoms and habits that can indicate that someone is struggling with anxiety.

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of anxiety are often times more noticeable and disruptive. These include:

• Sweating or getting body chills

• Headaches and dizziness

• Fast heart beat

• Difficulty breathing

• Shaking or trembling

Thoughts

A mind that races or thinks constantly about a certain topic or event could be experiencing the effects of anxiety. Some common thoughts that an anxious mind will focus include:

• Thinking about the worst case scenario

• Thinking you are being judged by others

• Thinking about what others say about you

• Replaying past scenarios in your head

Behaviours and Habits

Anxious habits and behaviours can form overtime and are often less noticeable than physical symptoms. Some examples of these habits are:

• Biting nails or picking at skin

• Neglecting to care for yourself, or putting off chores and tasks until it becomes overwhelming (I.e cleaning a room or dishes)

• Feeling shame for having an “overreaction” to something that upset you

• Leaving important texts and emails unread for days

• Overthinking or having difficulty making decisions

Experiencing these symptoms and habits can feel overwhelming and difficult to manage on your own. Grounding strategies are known to help relieve anxious symptoms in the moment. Talking about your symptoms with a professional and working together to develop effective management strategies can help ease your symptoms and transform your habits.

A version of this article was originally published on peacefulminds.ca by the same author