We all are aware of the term “anxiety” but not everyone knows how to deal with it or how it can be overcome. There are times in life where almost all of us feel anxious and it is a natural human tendency. We get into some situations such as facing a school or college exam, a job interview or giving a presentation in front of a huge audience where having anxiety is normal. We feel stressed, worried and nervous to face such situations. A certain level of anxiety is normal, but when it increases and is seen frequently in a person that it should not be ignored because it could lead to an “anxiety disorder” which can adversely affect a person’s health.
So now let’s first understand what exactly is the difference between “Anxiety” and “Anxiety Disorder”.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is defined as the state of feeling nervous, worried, stressed or scary. When a person gets scared of any situation, or when he/ she feels difficult to face any situation, at that time the state from which a person goes through can be called as anxiety in which he feels unable to face a particular situation just because of some fear or his/her state of mind.
What is Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder that is caused due to extreme fear, worry or anxiety and thus interferes with the daily activities of a human being. When these feelings exceed in someone, then that person has the risk of having an anxiety disorder. If these types of feelings are not taken care of at the right time, then they can cause major mental health disorders.
Symptoms of Anxiety:
You can identify whether you feel anxiety or not with some of the symptoms listed below:
- Your heartbeat increases
- Restlessness
- Excess sweating
- Lack of concentration
- Stress
- Fear
- Nervousness
Causes of Anxiety:
The habit of Overthinking:
Thinking habit is also one of the reasons behind anxiety. When a person starts overthinking, negative thinking feels stressed and get scared in any situation, he is more likely to feel anxiety. In this type of situation, people generally try to escape rather than facing the problem. And when someone thinks to run from the situation without facing it, it is very difficult for them to overcome it and succeed.
Low Testosterone:
When the amount of testosterone decreases in a person’s body, he/ she is more likely to face anxiety. Testosterone hormone is present in both male and females.
Decreased Levels Of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA):
Low level of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) causes anxiety, mood swings, and panic attacks. GABA is an important neurotransmitter in the brain that helps in preventing the brain from getting overwhelmed.
How to Overcome Anxiety:
Meditation or Yoga:
Yoga and meditation are considered as the best exercises for stress management, body and mind relaxation. It helps a lot in dealing with anxiety too. It also helps in preventing you from negative thinking and focus on positive thoughts. It helps to keep your mind calm.
Exercise:
Working out or doing regular exercise also helps a lot in overcoming anxiety problem. Doing physical exercise helps in releasing the chemicals in your brain that triggers positive feelings.
Eat Healthily:
Eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can and try avoiding too much sugar. Also, try to avoid having too much coffee or tea because it increases anxiety level.
Avoid Alcohol:
It is very common that when people feel stressed or nervous, they drink alcohol. But very few people know that alcohol is also responsible for anxiety.
So, if you also observe any of the above-mentioned symptoms in yourself while facing any situation in your life, then you must try out these easy tips to overcome the anxiety and face all the critical situations without any obstacle and get success in it. But when these symptoms increase and happen too often then you should not ignore it and without wasting any time you should go to consult a doctor as soon as possible. Because if you ignore these frequent feelings of fear, stress, worry or nervousness it can cause some major mental health disorder in the future.
