It’s important to recognize that anxiety is a natural bodily response. It has always been part of the human sense of survival, serving to alert us to potential dangers. Instead of seeing anxiety as an enemy, we can understand it as a friend trying to keep us safe. Our brains use anxiety to signal us when it assumes that stimulant might be harmful.
Anxiety often stems from our thoughts and past experiences. When we feel anxious, it’s a signal to be mindful of our thoughts at that moment. While anxiety itself may not always be within our immediate control, how we respond to it is something we can manage. For example If you are appearing for a math paper and you start thinking that you won’t be able to give the exam or it’s not in your capability etc. Your body is going to feel anxious as soon as the question paper appears in front of you. The autonomic nervous system of our body gets activated which leads to anxiety attack , panic attack, rapid breathing, excessive sweating and chest or stomach pain.
The autonomic nervous system might not be at times in an individual’s control but when one recognizes these psychosomatic symptoms (chest pain, short breaths, stomach ache or sweating etc) then they should use some relaxing techniques to help oneself. Additionally ,It is not necessary that all individuals experience the same psychosomatic response when they are feeling anxious.
Over time, if we experience anxiety frequently, one might start to perceive it as a normal part of our lives. But as an individual one needs to separate themselves from it and understand our mental health problem does not define us as an individual.
The amygdala is partially responsible for our emotions, especially fear. If the amygdala feels the body needs to protected, it releases hormones which instigates few anxiety response including the following are:
- Freeze – An Individual will have a feeling of numbness, there might be a possibility that he/she won’t be able to make any movement, difficulty in completing a task,or it will be difficult to make a decision.
- Fight – An individual will feel an urge to fight, might get aggressive, have a faster heart rate, will defend themselves and will not listen to other’s opinions.
- Flight – An individual will try to escape the situation, will try their best to escape the situation.
Additionally, Anxiety is not limited to any age, even during pregnancy if the mother is experiencing anxiety. It can be felt by the child in the womb. The infants when they are left alone in the room, might experience anxiety as the fear of being alone in the room. Simultaneously it can also be experienced by an elderly person when he/she becomes dependent on their children. They would fear how to manage their day to day chores without help or fear of being left out. At the present moment because of social media young adults commonly experience fear of being left out due to which they feel anxious as they have fear of being judged.
As a Founder of MyImpetus, I believe that I want all my clients, anyone who is reading this article, to remember that as an individual we are capable of helping ourselves. At times, we need to come out of our comfort and remind ourselves to take responsibility for our body and help ourselves.
As discussed above that one can help themselves when experiencing anxiety is by using some relaxation techniques and the following are :
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): This technique helps to calm down our nervous system, it starts by tensing (Squeezing) our muscles and releasing them. Start by tensing your toe, hold for 10-15 seconds and then release it. Followed by your feet, caves , thigh and you can eventually move upwards until the head muscles. This helps to release tension stored during anxiety.
- Visual Imagery – As discussed above, our thoughts play an important role during anxiety, the time you feel anxious one can imagine some peaceful destination. For example, It can be your favorite holiday destination or somewhere you always wanted to go. You can put some relaxing musing and let your body relax and imagine yourself in your safe place.
By understanding and managing anxiety, individuals can improve their mental well-being .
