We all experience anxiety at times, after all, it is a normal and natural response to stressful and dangerous situations. It is our body’s way of keeping us safe and has been critical to our survival as a species. It can focus our attention, helps us react, and even improve our performance in certain situations.
Anxiety is described as uncomfortable feelings of nervousness, worry, uneasiness and tension. A healthy amount of anxiety is perfectly ok and expected but what happens when it builds up and becomes difficult to manage?
Signs of Anxiety
Anxiety is a common state, it is estimated that one in nine people will experience anxiety in their lifetime.
Anxiety affects people in different ways, but it has physical, emotional, and behavioural effects and signs.
Signs of anxiety include:
- Being on edge, restless or irritable, feeling a sense of dread
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Repeatedly checking things or seeking assurance from others
- Avoiding situations or putting off doing things
- Change in eating habits – increased or decreased appetite, craving junk food
- Dizziness or trembling
- Sweating
- Racing heart
- Shortness of breath
- Physical aches or pain – headaches, stomach problems and nausea, diarrhoea, muscle tension or pain, jaw clenching
- Sleep problems – disturbed sleep, tiredness, nightmare, teeth-grinding
- Pins and needles
- A dry mouth
Types of Anxiety
There are several kinds of anxiety that can affect individuals and have varying symptoms and triggers.
Here are the most common types of anxiety:
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder is the most common type of anxiety where sufferers feel constantly and excessively anxious about a wide range of situations and issues.
- Social Anxiety is characterized by an intense feeling of anxiety and self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Severe forms can cause a person to experience symptoms almost anytime they are around other people.
- Panic Disorder is an anxiety which causes regular panic attacks with no particular triggers. It is bouts of intense fear that are often accompanied by physical symptoms such as chest pain, racing hear, shortness of breath, or dizziness.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is repeated unwelcome thoughts and/or a compulsion to carry out repetitive behaviours that can be difficult to ignore.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety that is triggered by very stressful, frightening or distressing events. PTSD sufferers often relive these traumatic events through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt.
Tips to help with anxiety
The causes and kinds of anxiety are complex. Anxiety requires treatment such as psychotherapy in the form of talking therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and/or exposure and response prevention (ERP) or in the short-term, anti-anxiety medication.
However, there are many things you can do to help you learn how to manage feelings of anxiety.
- Keep a mood diary- Check in with yourself on daily basis and take note of how you are feeling at different times, rating how anxious you are feeling on a scale of 1-10. List what you are feeling anxious about and if there are things you can do to ease those feelings.
- Make time- If you are feeling particularly anxious, set aside some ‘worry time’ to go through your worries. When that time is up, consciously focus your thoughts on other things.
- Challenge unhelpful thoughts- Our thought patterns can exacerbate our feelings of anxiety and lead to negative and unhelpful thoughts. Challenge these thoughts and do not accept them as fact.
Ask yourself:
- Is there evidence that confirms your thoughts
- Is there another way to look at it
- If you were to think positively about the situation, how would you view it
- Talk about your feelings - Telling someone about how you are feeling can help make things clearer for you.
- Relaxation techniques – Breathing and mindfulness exercise help keep you in the present moment and help your mind and body take control of a situation.
- Lifestyle factors- Eating healthy, regular exercise and getting plenty of sleep can improve your mental and physical wellbeing and burn off anxious energy.
If anxiety is affecting you or someone you love, the Thrive Wellbeing Hub is here to offer advice, information and support on anxiety and for those who need it, we can arrange professional counselling.
You can contact the Thrive wellbeing team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or by phone: (+353) 86 0243294.
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