Anxiety is a normal emotion for most of us to experience from time to time, and in small amounts can actually be a good motivator.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18 percent of the population every year.
Anxiety is related to fear, but it is different. So how can you tell the difference?
Fear is a feeling of tension that is associated with a known source of danger. Anxiety is also a feeling of tension, but in this case, the danger or the threat of danger is unknown. It is often anticipatory — worrying about the future. Without apparent reason, a person may worry about the success of their business, or fret over the health and well-being of a child, or feel apprehensive about their own health.
Anxiety is the culprit that wakes you in the night, and won’t let you go back to sleep. It distracts you and makes you irritable and forgetful. Physical symptoms can include trembling or shakiness, clammy hands, dry mouth, sweating, headaches, neck pain, frequent urination, and heart palpitations.
As mild anxiety is normal in your daily life, it can be managed well with some basic tools, good nutrients, and if it gets worse, some herbal medicines are very effective.
Anxiety coping strategies
Take this quiz to find out how well you already use some basic anxiety-relieving tools. Simply ask yourself these questions:
- When you feel anxious, do you take deep breaths to ground yourself and calm yourself down?
- To ease some of the tension, do you relax your body and physically release the tightness in your shoulders, neck, arms, and chest?
- Do you vent your feelings of anxiety by writing or talking to someone? This helps get the strong emotions off your chest and out of your body.
- Do you channel the tension into some kind of physical activity like walking, sweeping the floor, doing the dishes, or watering the yard?
- Do you get a reality check by talking to someone you trust about your reasoning or thinking, or the conclusions you have come to?
- If you know you’re going to be in an anxiety-producing situation, Do you plan through how you will handle it; do you get yourself ready?
- Do you watch how others get through stressful situations and model them; do you ask questions about the best way to handle situations, or events, or people?
- When the same anxiety comes up over and over, do you log and assess possible causes and solutions?
- When it doesn’t interfere with your normal life, do you generally try to avoid people, places, and events that you know will produce anxiety?
- Sometimes, when you have to face a situation that you know will cause it, do you take someone with you?
- Do you face and take responsibility for problems and commit to a plan of action, rather than avoiding, denying, minimizing, or blaming?
- Do you nurture a positive attitude?
- Do you seek support from friends, counselors, self-help groups, etc.?
More intense feelings of anxiety are emotionally painful and can interfere with a person’s daily functioning. If you’re concerned about your feelings of fear and anxiety, don’t hesitate to contact me. Clinically proven natural treatments can work quickly, so you don’t have to suffer alone.
