Feeling anxious is a normal part of life. We all feel anxious or nervous when we have to speak in front of a group or before a test of some sort. But what if that anxious feeling just doesn’t go away? What if you notice that you worry about everything and you can’t seem to “turn it off?”
If you spend a huge amount of your energy worrying about things that may not even happen and this intense worrying lasts for 6 months or more, you may have anxiety. Anxiety is a mood disorder and may include panic attacks or the sudden and intense surge of fear that is not related to circumstances or immediate surroundings.
What Should You Do First?
- Know you are not alone. Millions suffer with anxiety and it is becoming more and more common all the time.
- Get help from a mental health professional. A counselor will be able to teach you coping skills that work for you so you can carry on with your life.
- Talk to you primary care doctor to rule out any physical causes of anxiety such as hyperthyroidism or high blood pressure.
- Take care of yourself. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, food, water, exercise and downtime. Sounds simple, but it is easy to get off track on these basic needs.
- Think about adding meditation and mindfulness to your daily self care routine. It may sound crazy to think about sitting still for meditation or doing things in a mindful manner while you are anxious, but both have been proven to counteract the anxiety in profound ways. Meditation and mindfulness practices help bring you to the present moment instead of being consumed with worries about the future.
- Attend a beginning Yoga class. Again it may not be the first thing you think about doing when anxiety is running rampant in your life, but it will really help to slow down the thoughts and help you get into your body and out of your head.
It really is difficult to manage the run away train of thoughts in your head and carry on with your normal day to day living. So be kind to yourself. You are doing the best you can!