Anxiety can take many forms and in most cases does not cause serious problems in everyday life. Some worry may motivate us to perform better, or even motivate us to overcome the obstacles in front of us. However, when anxiety can be so bad that we can no longer deal with it and have a very negative impact on our lives.
Anxiety can occur in many situations, but it can usually be said that it manifests itself strongly in cases where in situations that are important to us, and we do not know what will happen, we have little to no control over the situation. We can experience this in a lot of areas of life, e.g. test anxiety, we may be worried about what others think of us (social anxiety), but we may also be worried about how we will be able to lead an independent life by going to university (running a household, cooking, etc.) or what happens currently in the world.
A lot of anxiety and worry can turn into anxiety disorders, negatively affecting our life. Such disorders are defined as the inability of a person to properly manage anxiety and, as a result, marked negative changes on an emotional, psychological, cognitive, behavioral, and / or somatic level.
The symptoms can be very different, such as:
Restlessness, worry
"Frog in the throat"
Difficulty concentrating
Fatigue, irritability
Impatience
Attention can be easily distracted
Muscle stiffness
Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep (insomnia)
Increased sweating
Shortness of breath
Stomach ache
Diarrhea
Headache
When should you ask for help?
If you have difficulty controlling your anxiety, your worries, or if your symptoms are hindering your daily life, or if you are trying to do everything you can to relax, but you are still anxious.
What can be done to relieve anxiety?
Relaxation: there are several forms, the point is to do something that allows you to “turn off” your “thoughts”. Eg: hot bath, listening to music, meditation, prayer, etc. It is worth putting 15-20 minutes of relaxation every day
Exercise: Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve anxiety. A fast-paced, short (30-minute) walk or other aerobic exercise with increased oxygen consumption stimulates endorphin production (so it can relieve pain and relieve anxiety). Instead of playing sports, you can even do gardening or do anything that moves you a little!
Breathing: You can relieve your anxiety by controlling your breathing. Sit down with one hand on your stomach and take a deep breath slowly, but with your stomach rising instead of your chest. Hold the air for four to five seconds, then release it very slowly. Repeat until you feel rested.
Positive thinking: By setting your short- and medium-term goals and repeating them many times or writing them down can help you focus your attention on things that are important to you so you don’t have to worry about other things. On the other hand, this increased focus of attention can help you solve difficulties successfully.