Anxiety
What is anxiety?
Everyone gets worried for some reason or another. Anxiety is the body’s reaction to a perceived danger or threatening situation. Most people experience anxiety before and after a stressful situation or a traumatic loss. Sometimes anxiety may develop spontaneously for no apparent reason. You may not be able to control your anxiety and may experience multiple symptoms.
What are the symptoms?
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Rapid breathing or hyperventilation
Dizziness/lightheadedness
Numbness or tingling sensation in your hands and fingers
Shakiness, twitching or trembling
Pounding heart or palpitations
Excessive sweating or hot flashes
Chills or cold flashes
Being worried or concerned
Tension or sore muscles
Stomach upset and nausea or diarrhea
Chest discomfort or chest pain
Trouble concentrating
Irritability
Being easily startled
Headache.
Grinding of teeth
Dry mouth
Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
Lack of energy
Fear of losing one’s mind
Fear of school or public places
Worry about family, health, safety, school and others
Family history of anxiety or panic attacks
Tips on managing anxiety:
If you think that you have too much anxiety, I would recommend for you to see a
psychologist or psychiatrist as you may need therapy and/or medication. Meanwhile,
you could do several things that may help:
1. Identify your patterns. Become aware of when you are having anxiety and what the specific triggers are.
2. Develop a plan. If you have a specific worry, write it down and develop a plan to address it. Try to take one or two worries at a time.
3. Exercise. Go for a walk. Swim. Play.
4. Deep breaths. Breathing techniques are very helpful alleviating anxiety and fast heartbeats. Avoid shallow or fast breathing. Take a few moments to simply notice your breathing pattern. Then, take a deep breath and let your belly be soft and relaxed. Breathe from your lower abdomen. A simple breathing exercise is to breathe in through your nose to the count of 9 and then hold your breath to the count of 9. Then slowly breathe out through your mouth to the count of 9. Repeat this breathing pattern at least 9 times and several times during the day, especially if you are feeling anxious.
5. Meditation. Even the simplest of prayers or positive thoughts can help you release your worry. Prayer may help you relax and forget a specific trigger that may be worrying you.
6. Be aware of your thoughts. Anxiety is often triggered or accompanied by negative thoughts or internal “chatter.” The good news is that you can do something about it. Be aware of your negative thoughts and replace them with positive and constructive thoughts such as imagining yourself relaxing on a sunny beach while listening to the sound of the ocean waves.
7. Avoid caffeine, alcohol or nicotine.
8. Don’t watch the news or violent movies.
9. Don’t worry alone. If you are by yourself, try to contact someone that you trust. Anxiety often diminishes when we share our worries with someone that we trust.
10. Counseling
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