avatarEvelyn Lim

Summary

The article discusses the prevalence of anxiety symptoms, their physical and psychological manifestations, and strategies for managing anxiety through awareness, emotional processing, and natural methods.

Abstract

The article "Anxiety Symptoms: Notice The Signs that Your Body Is Giving You" delves into the increasing reports of anxiety symptoms, particularly since the onset of the pandemic. It highlights the impact of stress on the body, noting that while some anxiety is normal, chronic stress can lead to serious health issues. The author shares personal experiences with anxiety and emphasizes the importance of recognizing anxiety symptoms, which can range from physical reactions like rapid heartbeat and trembling to more severe psychological effects such as social withdrawal and depression. The article suggests that by understanding and rating one's anxiety levels, identifying triggers, and engaging in practices like breathing exercises and the Butterfly Method, individuals can better manage their anxiety. It also touches on Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), its symptoms, and the fact that both adults and children can be affected. The author, who coaches women solopreneurs, advocates for addressing the root causes of anxiety to restore peace and ease, ultimately suggesting that managing anxiety can lead to a more confident approach to life's challenges.

Opinions

  • The author believes that anxiety symptoms can be overlooked due to habitual busyness and that recognizing these symptoms is crucial for health and well-being.
  • It is suggested that anxiety is often a creation of the mind and that learning to cope with or eliminate fear is possible through mindful practices.
  • The article posits that excessive worrying can lead to Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which can significantly interfere with daily functioning.
  • The author emphasizes the importance of emotional processing work and seeking help if anxiety is a constant presence in one's life.
  • There is an opinion that disproportionate anxiety can create a self-fulfilling cycle of fear that shapes one's reality, and that inner work is necessary to shift from anxiety to ease.
  • The author endorses the use of natural methods, such as the Butterfly Method and EFT tapping, for managing anxiety.

Anxiety Symptoms: Notice The Signs that Your Body Is Giving You

Observe what anxiety symptoms are like for your physical body, so that you can shift into greater ease and strength

Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash

More and more people are reporting to having anxiety symptoms . Ever since the start of the pandemic, stress levels have increased dramatically. In a 2020 survey, 62% of respondents reported experiencing some degree of anxiety and nearly half of the respondents experienced it on an every day basis.

Already as it is, we live in a fast-paced environment with plenty of demands on our time and energy. For instance, we feel anxious when we believe that we can’t catch up on a dateline. Or we feel anxious when we don’t believe that we can handle the things on our plate. Lest anyone is inclined to blame it all on work, it may come as a surprise to know that stress at home has been cited as the main source of anxiety.

While our bodies can cope with some level of anxiety, problems arise when we are constantly under stress. It is when our fight-or-flight response becomes excessively activated. Over time, our well-being goes down. It’s certainly not healthy to live in a constant state of extreme anxiety and stress.

I certainly have experienced many anxiety episodes in my life. Yet, I have no awareness about what constitutes anxiety symptoms until I started to learn about processing my emotions. Learning how to process my emotions had required me to identify what I was feeling. And one of the emotions that came up for me was the anxiety that I was experiencing.

With what I have learnt, I’d like to share what I understand anxiety symptoms to be. Hopefully, more of us can learn to recognise them. My understanding is that it is possible to overlook the signs that our body is already giving to us. We can be in the habit of keeping busy that we fail to slow down and get in touch with our physical body.

Thus, we miss out on vital clues that can help us process any anxiety in a healthy manner. As mentioned, a neglect can cost us in terms of our health and well-being. Learning what anxiety symptoms are and becoming aware of how intense they are for us is going to help.

What Anxiety Symptoms Are Like

Start by looking through the list below and observe if your anxiety symptoms show up in bodily reactions such as…

  • fast heartbeats
  • profuse sweating
  • hands trembling
  • blood draining from face
  • muscles tensing up
  • difficulties in breathing
  • dizziness
  • stomach churning
  • knees going weak etc.

These can be momentary and therefore not serious.

More serious reactions include heart attacks and eventually death.

Undoubtedly, mild anxiety can cause us a feeling of discomfort but extreme anxiety can be debilitating. In a severe case of extreme anxiety, symptoms can range from

  • social withdrawal
  • mood swings
  • nervous tension
  • depression
  • etc.

I have been noticing cases where a person can suffer from heightened anxiety almost every single day. Take my friend, Angeline, for instance. She is always in a rush, speaks with a high-pitched tone, and feels as if everything is in a state of emergency.

Since I am not a doctor, I am not in the position to assess that her symptoms fall under the medical condition of a severe anxiety disorder. However what I have noticed is that even though she has not had a panic attack, she has been experiencing a loss in confidence, a low ability to concentrate and insomnia. While excessive worrying has not prevented Angeline from functioning on a daily basis, I have observed how miserable it can be living in a state of heightened agitation all the time.

Fortunately, with what I have learned, I have been able to share with Angeline vital resources on how to better manage and regulate her anxiety levels using natural means.

Build Awareness to Anxiety Symptoms

Here’s how you can build greater awareness about your anxiety symptoms.

As you tune into your body, notice your feelings, sensations and thoughts that accompany anxiety. Make a note of what these are. Next, rate from a scale of 0–10 and with 10 being absolutely severe, rate how you are experiencing anxiety in the body.

Also, answer the following questions…

  • How is your anxiety being triggered?
  • What are your sources of anxiety?
  • How often do you get anxious?
  • How has anxiety impacted your life?

Be aware that anxiety is a symptom of fear. More often than not, fear is a creation of the mind. Since no real threat exists, it is possible to learn how to better cope. You may feel as if you are about to be harmed, annihilated or rendered useless but your projected fears are mostly psychological. Hence, if your mind can create the fear, it is possible to eliminate or reduce it to a level that is manageable.

It is important not to get anxiety levels out of hand. Be mindful that excessive worrying may put you at risk of developing what the medical profession will call as Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). It happens when excessive worrying interferes with daily functioning. A person who has a GAD suffers from irrational fears on almost everything for at least six months or more.

Generalised anxiety disorder symptoms can vary. They can include:

  • Extreme irritability
  • Muscle tension or muscle aches
  • Obsession about small or large concerns
  • Feel as if you are living on the edge
  • Restlessness and feeling keyed up or on edge
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty concentrating or your mind “going blank”
  • Insomnia and restlessness at night
  • Sweating, nausea or diarrhea
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Anticipation of disaster.

Do not be mistaken into believing that it is just adults who can suffer from GAD. Apparently, a child can too. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders are also conditions with heightened anxiety as one of the symptoms.

Let Go of Anxiety to Build Strength

By noticing what is happening to your body and finding out more about your triggers, you can then find ways to alleviate anxiety. For instance, breathing exercises can help. Or using the Butterfly Method. At the same time, if you find yourself easily stressed or if you find that you have been living with anxiety for as long as you can remember, consider seeking help.

I have found that doing some emotional processing work helpful when dealing with issues of anxiety. As a coach who specialises in helping women solopreneurs process their emotions and improve mindset, my findings often indicate that anxiety is a symptom of root causes that have been left unaddressed. In almost all situations, letting go of the fear at root cause can help to restore greater peace and calm.

Disproportionate levels of anxiety lead to a leakage in energy. Your energy reserves are being depleted by repeated episodes of anxiety; thereby causing you exhaustion. It can be self-fulfilling in that your fears create your reality. Hence, to attract a different reality, consider doing some inner work to shift from anxiety into greater ease.

The famed British preacher and prolific author, Charles Spurgeon once observed,

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.

Indeed, living with more ease can only strengthen us to handle life and its challenges more confidently.

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Mental Health
Anxiety
Self-awareness
Emotional Healing
Self
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