Summary
May of us feel anxiety to one degree or another, and it can manifest (show up) in lots of different ways, depending on each person and their personality. Read the below to learn a bit more about how anxiety can affect us so that you can recognise it, and to get a few tips for helping to manage it in your own life.
Anxiety is not just one feeling. It can manifest in many different ways and it’s important to be able to recognise it when we experience it.
Most of us are very familiar with certain signs of anxiety – that churning feeling in our stomachs before a big exam or the racing, worried thoughts in your head before a big event or an important social occasion.
But what about the signs and symptoms that we’re not familiar with? The ones that simply show up in our day-to-day lives that we dismiss as ‘life’ or ‘just the way I am’? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe they are not just part of your personality but are there because of something in your life that is causing you anxiety?
Here is how Anxiety can present itself with Mental, Physical and Emotional symptoms.
Mental
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Automatic negative thoughts
- Trouble concentrating
- Overthinking
- Brain fog
- Poor sleep
Physical
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Sweating
- Digestion/stomach issues
- Back pain
Emotional
- Cranky
- Depressed
- Tearful
- Angry
- Impatient
- Guilty
Have you suffered from any of those things recently?
It can be a lot to deal with. Especially because, if you’re experiencing more than one symptom at the same time, it can start to feel like you’ll never feel good again.
According to anxiety therapist Kelly McKenna, the best way to deal with these feelings is to talk to somebody you trust, get outside and start to set boundaries around the things that are causing you anxiety.
Examples of boundaries:
- Saying ‘No’ to the things you don’t want to do – (This doesn’t mean saying ‘no’ to new things. It means saying ‘no’ to the things that you know are bad for your mental health.)
- Allowing yourself as much time as you need to prepare for a big event/audition/presentation/exam etc.
- Explaining to your friends or family why you don’t want to hear or talk about certain things that give you anxiety. E.g. Covid, climate change, upsetting news stories etc.
- Limiting your time on social media
- Sticking to a bedtime routine that relaxes you and prepares you for sleep
Key takeaways
- There are some symptoms of anxiety that we might not recognise as anxiety, and think they’re just ‘how we are’.
- Learn the different ways that anxiety can show up mentally, physically and emotionally. Bookmark this page if you need to!
- The best ways to deal with these feelings are to talk to somebody you trust, get outside, and start to set boundaries around the things that are causing you anxiety.
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