What Is Anxiety and Tips That Will Help

By Ann Star

Anxiety has been described many ways; however, one definition is a feeling of worry, or unease; often concerning an upcoming event or something that has an uncertain outcome. If one word would sum up anxiety it would be "uncertainty."

Keep in mind; anxiety is caused by several key factors; environmental factors, genetics, medical factors like stress from a disease, brain chemistry due to stress and use of or withdrawal from drugs.

Symptoms of anxiety are fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping and restlessness. A doctor can diagnose anxiety by examining and talking with the patient.

Cognitive behavioral therapy works for some. It is a short-term talking therapy where a counselor or therapist works with a person to help them find new ways to approach challenges, including stress, fear and relationship issues.

There are things you and I can do that will provide quick relief from symptoms of anxiety such as taking a deep breath. Taking a deep breath will help your body to relax. It helps your body to go from a "fight-or-flight response to a relaxed response. Try slowly inhaling through your nose on the count of four and then exhaling through your mouth on the count of five or six.

Another tip that will help is to accept that you are anxious. Feeling anxious now and then is part of life. Remember, anxiety is only an emotional reaction. In addition, remember your brain is playing tricks with your brain. Also, when you feel anxiety, your brain will come up with strange thoughts and reactions but that is not the truth; it is hype. So, challenge your thoughts; your brain is trying to tell you a falsehood.

Ask yourself when feeling anxious: "Is this worry real?" Or, "Is this thing I'm worried about likely to happen?"

An additional tip is to use positive self-talk. In other words, ignore the negative feedback you are getting from your brain and tell yourself some "positive coping words" like "This anxiety feels scary, but I can initiate some strategies to cope with this." By using positive words, especially words that come from the Bible, you can feel a lot better and can shove the negative thoughts away.

Most importantly, focus on what is going on right now. In most cases when a person is anxious, he or she is thinking about something that might occur in the future. Instead of worrying about what might happen, pay attention to what is currently going on. Even if something very bad is currently going on, focus on the present moment because it will help you manage the current situation. Also, think about something you are looking forward to doing in the future--a happy event. This will help get you through the bad time.

To conclude, anxiety is a feeling of worry, or unease; often concerning an upcoming event or something that has an uncertain outcome. If one word would sum up anxiety it would be "uncertainty." Put your worries and concerns away and follow the above tips. You will feel less anxious and you will have several ways to manage and lessen feelings of anxiety.