July 20, 2023 by AHelpingHand Anxiety and Stress, Depression, Infographics 0 comments

"Living with anxiety is like being followed by a voice. It knows all your insecurities and uses them against you. It gets to the point when it's the loudest voice in the room. The only one you can hear."~ Unknown

We don't know about you, but it seems that more people than not are struggling with unhealthy symptoms of anxiety. Yes, "unhealthy" is the key word here. So, let's break that down a little further:

• Healthy Anxiety is triggered by specific events/situations, intermittent, and beneficial for things like productivity and creativity.

• Unhealthy Anxiety interferes with daily living, is irrational and chronic, and inhibits productivity and creativity.

Now, looking at it like that, it's easy to distinguish between the two, right? Maybe. If treating mental health was as simple as that, then we'd all be out of a job very quickly. So, let's break it down even further:

• Anxiety - ongoing, difficulty regulating emotions, overwhelming sense of dread that causes avoidance

• Stress/Nervousness - a natural reaction to certain situations, typically new or important challenges (i.e., giving a presentation or waiting on lab results), but goes away once the situation has passed

Are we saying that anxiety is unnatural/abnormal? Not at all. Anxiety is the next step up from feeling stressed or nervous.
Symptoms of stress and anxiety tend to present with similar sensations, such as:

• fatigue
• difficulty sleeping/staying asleep
• irritability
• muscle tension
• elevated blood pressure
• difficulty concentrating
• increased heart rate
• excessive worry
• headaches
• chest pain
• "his palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy..." I digress.

In all seriousness, though, the most important factor for distinguishing between feeling stressed or experiencing anxiety is how your emotions are presenting physically. Is there a difference between the physical sensations you experience when you are stressed/nervous and those of anxiety? Theoretically, there should be.

Tips For Dealing With Anxiety

Okay, we have the knowledge, now what do we do with it?
This may go without saying, but therapy is a great way to learn how to regulate your emotions and overcome overwhelming feelings. A knowledgable clinician can also help determine if you are suffering from a disorder or experiencing normal/healthy symptoms of stress.

Enhance your mindfulness: Mindfulness is not meditation. To be mindful means to be aware, on purpose, in the present, without judging.

Implement self-care. Self-care doesn't have to be this lavish spa weekend or staying in bed all day. Self-care can be spending five minutes alone in your car screaming your lungs out before you have to go inside and make dinner. Self-care is what you need in that moment in order to move through those overwhelming emotions. Other examples include going to the gym, gardening, fishing, or reading.

Establish a strong support system. Surround yourself with people who boost your confidence, celebrate with your during the highs, and stay with you during the lows.
This ties into mindfulness, but you will have to learn and be willing to accept that anxiety, although unwanted, is a natural occurrence. Again, healthy anxiety can spur you on to be more productive or creative. You might just have to learn what healthy anxiety in your life looks and feels like.

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