At some point in our lives, each and every one of us experiences feeling of anxiety, whether it is preparing for an examination or making an important decision. Feeling anxious in everyday situations is normal, but excessive and persistent anxiety can lead to serious mental health issues. It is one of the most common mental health issues all over the world. A low level of anxiety is deemed healthy as it serves as a motivating force, but there are times when it can take over your life. The best way to overcome this problem is to understand it in the properly.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is often defined as a type of fear that’s mostly associated with something that may go wrong in the future or a perceived threat, but it can also occur due to something happening in the present. While fear is basically your response to immediate danger, anxiety involves worrying and tension without a specific cause. Chronic anxiety can have negative consequences because it can impact your concentration, thereby damaging your work performance and personal relationship.

Why do you feel anxious?

There are a lot of things that can give rise to anxiety and they can vary. Your reaction can depend on what worries you and what you do when you feel apprehensive or nervous. The environment in which you were brought up, your genes, how you survived in life and how you coped with things can all have an impact on your feelings of anxiety and their intensity. One of the first steps to managing anxiety is knowing what makes you anxious. This can be work, financial issues, loneliness, ageing, your personal relationships or even medical conditions.

What are the signs of anxiety?

Stressful incidents are a part of life and it is perfectly normal for you to be anxious when they occur. This is a natural survival response, but sometimes, anxiety levels get so high that they manifest physically such as:

• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Irregular or rapid heartbeat
• Fast breathing
• Tensed/weakened muscles
• Dry mouth
• Churning stomach

There are also psychological signs like:

• Lack of concentration
• Difficulty sleeping
• Loss of self-esteem
• Feeling depressed and irritable
• Constantly worrying about things

How to manage anxiety?

It is simply not possible for a person to just stop themselves from feeling anxious. There is no on/off button that you can press and your worries will be over. This doesn’t mean that it is incurable and you will suffer from it for the rest of your life. The key is to know what to do. For immediate effectiveness, it is best to start with anti-anxiety medicines, which is great for promoting calm and peace and can even help you sleep. You also need to open up to a professional about what you are going through as they can aid you in identifying your triggers and understanding the cause of your anxiety. You can learn relaxation and meditation techniques for countering your anxious feeling and leading a stable life.