Anxiety is a common feeling experienced by most people throughout life. It ranges from the sweaty palms ‘butterflies in tummy’ feelings before a job interview, to the intense trepidation felt in a threatening situation. Anxiety usually exhibits in the face of an event with an unknown outcome. The continuity of anxiety depends on the outcome of a situation. For example, passing a school exam removes the anxiety felt by a school child who had waited for the result. On the other hand, someone living with a dependent chronically sick person will find little respite from a collection of anxious feelings regarding the present and the future.
The situations in which people experience anxiety are extensive, some situations are commonly experienced while others are very closely tied to the unique life and emotional background of an individual. Some people find that they often feel anxious in social situations. This could be that they have low self-esteem and do not feel self-confident, or for a variety of reasons they may perhaps harbour feelings of inadequacy. Possibly the social anxiety may be the consequence of having experienced a traumatic event. Intense social anxiety could even develop into agoraphobia.
Other common anxiety provoking situations involve travel, such as air travel, or perhaps driving at night or on motorways. Whatever the situation might be, the emotions associated with anxiety are more or less felt in the same way in everyone. Anxious feelings are defined by the fight or flight programming of the sympathetic nervous system. The common symptoms of anxiety include: feeling tense and/or irritable; feeling fear and/or panic; feeling nervous and trembling; experiencing increased heart rate and/or sweating; hyperventilation; stomach cramps; nausea; having difficulty concentrating. Generally speaking there is a strong urge to escape from the situation causing the unsettling symptoms.
Drawing by Charlie Mackesy from https://www.facebook.com/Charliemackesyart
An extended period of unrelenting anxiety is extremely stressful. Chronic stress can have a major impact on the immune system of an individual, and hence can negatively affect their physical health. However, even in the face of continuous uncertain outcomes, it is important that efforts should be made to cope with living in an anxious state. The success of coping strategies depend very much on the situation and motivation of the individual. Generally acceptable coping strategies involve things that activate the parasympathetic nervous system which calms the body down so that internal organs can function normally.
Some useful coping strategies include:
mindful slow deep breathing
using familiar relaxation techniques
regular exercising, including taking a walk in the fresh air
learning something new
focusing on creative projects
humming, whistling, singing, dancing
connecting with others in comfortable ways
Each person will know which anxiety coping strategies are the most appropriate within their situation and circumstances. Additional help with coping strategies can also be found through life coaching sessions and/or a support group.
Useful Websites
https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk
www.nhs.uk/conditions
www.mind.org.uk
Or contact Heather Brand (Life Coach) via email: brandnewstepsforward@gmail.com for confidential life coaching sessions focussed on anxiety.