That dreaded bloody word, ANXIETY.

You hear it everywhere. You hear people say that they feel anxiety about a job interview or a first date. They feel anxious over the weather or about dying their hair. Celebrities on tv use the word anxiety as a way of describing being nervous.

We all get nervous & anxious sometimes and this is important & beneficial to us. It’s useful when we are placed in a situation as it will allow us to make the most important decisions and to do our very best.

BUT, our anxiety feels different. Anxiety feels like a tonne of bricks have been placed on your chest, your lungs are empty & closing up, your body shakes uncontrollably accompanied by hot and cold flushes, tingling down your arms and legs, spasms and cramps in your stomach & your mind spinning as if it was in a washing machine, but instead of being cleaned it’s being absorbed with negative thoughts, and what ifs?

Anxiety can be unbearable, but it can also be life altering. Stopping you from answering the phone, walking to the shops, making it into work or even leaving your bed.  It can ruin relationships with loved ones and even your relationship with yourself.

Anxiety is a horrible feeling that we all experience at different times in our lives. When you are feeling anxious there are a list of symptoms that you can experience such as:

• Increased heart rate
• Muscle tightness
• Hot and cold flashes
• Trembling
• Shaking
• Sweating
• Feeling unable to breath.. these are just a few.

It also impacts us mentally. Worrying about daily things but the thinking becomes obssesive and often hard to get rid of. Jumping from one thought to another or obsseively thinking of the same thing over and over again.

It can largely influence how we behave. For example, making us avoid the things we need/want to because of the fear of embarassement or how things will turn out. Interfering with daily tasks and important dates.

 

So, how do you get anxiety?

Lots of things can trigger anxiety.

• Stressful life events – such as losing a job, a loved one passing away.
• Past events – that may have been traumatic or even disturbing to your thoughts.
• Life style – such as poor diet, unhealthy life style.
• Personality – maybe you have always been a naturally nervous person?
• Health problems – which can result in anxiousness over how to cope.

 

 

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS..

You have the potential to change.

Any fear or anxiety can be a massive sign of unresolved problems – maybe something that has happened in your past is still affecting you today or maybe you just aren’t willing to realise how incredible you are. But whatever it is, you can choose to change.

But the thing is, you have to be willing to change.

Its important you have some insight into what is causing the fear & anxiety i.e., where your fears came from and when they started. Have you gone through a traumatic experience? Had a large lifestyle change? Now, im not saying something dramatic has to happen to for you to have anxiety. You dont even need to have a reason for having it (I believed for years that my anxiety had no cause) but its important to think deep because once you idendtify the cause, you can eliminate it.

Okay so now you know what has started your anxiety and you are looking to resolve the issue, you now will need to alter how you view the issue, yourself and others. Of course this is easy to say, but in my next couple of posts im going to be writing about the different ways to overcome anxiety. Read them, try them & alter it to suit you. Unfortunately, its all about trial and error but once you find what works, the relief will be unreal. But you might be tempted to follow old habits, stopping your progress but  you must allow yourself as much time as you need to accept these changes.

Overcoming anxiety is not an easy thing, there is no quick fix or magic pill. But with different methods & a positive frame of mind.. IT IS POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME IT!

 

Stay Strong ❤