Signs that you are dealing with anxiety and how to overcome them ?
In the world full of chaos, it’s very common to face anxiety. But many of us don’t know what it feels like to have anxiety and thus fail to address it. If we understand what anxiety feels or looks like, we can take measures to avoid or overcome them more effectively.
What Anxiety feels and looks like ?
The Anxiety presents itself in many different ways. It could be an argue to control people and events, struggling to pay attention and focus, over planning for situations and events, feeling agitated and angry, crying and difficulty managing emotions, difficulty getting sleep, restlessness, headaches, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, panic attacks, excessive and uncontrollable worries, loss of appetite, needing assurance, procrastination, feeling disconnected from the world and negative self-talks.
An anxiety could happen due to many reasons like childhood traumas, financial struggles, witnessing death of someone close, work stress, any severe physical and mental stress or it could be simply a personality trait. The acuteness varies from person to person. For instance, a person can be comfortable even when in a stressful condition such as appearing for an exam while the same would be someone else’s biggest anxiety. Other examples of anxiety are being in solitude, making new acquaintances, attending a party, talking to a stranger, going on a blind date, stage performance, and so on.
What could worsen the anxiety ?
There are few daily routines that can aggravate your anxiety.
- Skipping Meals
Skipping your meal causes hypoglycemia that leads to symptoms like weakness, irritability, nervousness and dizziness.
2. Excessive Sugar Intake
Sugar temporarily suppresses anxiety and stress but causes more harm by adversely affected health in the long term.
3. Not Exercising
When most parts of your day goes sedentary, your body is more prone to anxiety.
4. Processed Foods Intake
High amounts of additives added to the processed foods worsen the anxiety and affect mood and social behaviors.
5. Lack of enough fluids
Dehydration causes stress to the body which ultimately results in causing anxiety.
6. Watching News
News contains many agitating, fear and worry inducing contents which can exaggerate the anxiety symptoms if not controlled.
7. Lack of Sleep
Getting less than 6–8 hours of sleep on a regular basis can cause stress, negative thoughts and result in anxiety symptoms in the long run.
8. Ignoring the Anxiety
Ignoring any signal that your body is imparting like negative thought process, restlessness, excessive fear and likewise, if not addressed can worsen the magnitude of anxiety.
Simple ways to handle your Anxiety
There are many effective ways to control your anxiety, but they do not work overnight. Give yourself time and believe in yourself to overcome your anxiety slowly and steadily to have a long term outcome. To have better control on your life and to be at peace and harmony for most part of your days are all possible if you keep trying something new everyday.
Below are the few easy ways to keep up your morale and enthusiasm to combat your anxiety.
- Practice affirmations in front of your mirror
Start your day with a smile and reciting your affirmations in front of your mirror. This simple task will boost enormous confidence in you to sail through all the hassles of the day.
2. Read books that make you feel good
Books are definitely the best companion you can have. Read a few pages of a book everyday. It will keep you full of wisdom and you can travel the places without moving your feet, know the culture and adversity and will admire the people even more.
3. Listen to calm and relaxing music
Music soothes the mind and removes stress at a very fast pace. Always take out time to listen to some good classical music especially at the end of your day, preferably before going to bed. This exercise will absorb all your stress and negative thoughts and bring calmness and relaxation.
4. Meditate
Practicing guided meditation on a regular basis even for a few minutes will bring lasting calmness and stillness in your personality. There are so many apps available that you can start right away. My personal favorite is Mindhouse. Try anyone that fits in your routine.
5. Say Goodbye to Toxic people in your life
Often we are caught up in hard and toxic relationships, unable to make the decision to come out even if it consumes us. Be bold and take the first step towards a bright, sunny side of life. Leave people behind who don’t respect you and your decisions, constantly judge you or insult you or make you feel low about yourself in any way. Be free and fly high. This will make space for new and better people in your life.
6. Cry whenever you need to
Many times we think of crying as a characteristic of a weak person. But it isn’t. In fact, crying is a way to accept and show your strength, through your outburst of emotions and being a human. Cry when you need to. Don’t suppress it. This will heal you through any setbacks, traumas and rough patches you may have gone through.
7. Keep a list of your achievements
When you are feeling low and gloomy, it is only you that can uplift yourself. Keep reminding yourself about all that you have achieved in life and how bravely you have come through all the difficult chapters and challenges to where you stand today. A list of such achievements will never miss to fill your life with vivacity and yearns to add more to that list.
8. Wear Bright Colors
Colors speak. Yes that’s absolutely true. Wear something bright and see how you feel. Bright colors like Red, Orange, Blue, Green, Yellow makes your mind feel lighter and stress-free all day long. Make a habit to add some good, bright colors to your wardrobes and try it regularly.
9. Don’t let opinion of others affect you adversely
Listen to everyone but don’t let it affect you badly. If you find someone persistently making you feel bad about yourself, its time to stay away. Don’t let your serene mind wander behind unpleasant judgements.
10. Practice Breathing
Practice deep breathing exercises frequently to keep a check on your stress level and keep your heart beat in-line with the recommended graph.
I hope this article will be of help to you and others in order to understand the true meaning of anxiety and ways to deal with it successfully. There is always a way to overcome an obstruction and every time the initial step is to recognize it.
