ANXIETY is a complex but common complaint that most people suffer with at some point – and the past 10 months have been particularly stressful.
But it can be useful in handling anxiety to know what happens in the body when it strikes.
:: When anxiety strikes, what’s going on?
“Well, although it may not feel like it, your body is activating a highly sophisticated response,” says fitness expert Laura Williams, who has an additional qualification in Mental Health Awareness. “The chemical processes that help you respond to a real or imagined fear are vast, and include dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline.
“Breathing gets faster, your heart rate increases and you may experience palpitations and perspiration, a digestive upset, headaches and/or a loss of appetite. This can lead to fatigue, troubled sleep and muscular aches and pains.”
Anxiety is linked to longer-term conditions such as insomnia, digestive problems, chronic pain and depression and can lead to substance misuse. It can also be a symptom of an unrelated condition, such as diabetes or heart disease.
:: Short-term solutions:
Picture the scene: you feel fearful of an upcoming situation. Anxiety takes hold and what started as unease now takes the form of gut-wrenching fear. What should you do?
“Pause,” advises Williams. “Be ruthless with that racing mind as you breathe in for a count of four and out for a count of four, focusing on nothing else. If you can, do this for one full minute.
“Now you’ve bought yourself some time, ask yourself the question, ‘Am I in genuine danger, or is there a small possibility that this is a little bit like a faulty car alarm going off?’
“If you can, walk a few steps. Focus only on the sensation of your feet on the ground beneath you. And then try and move to your next task.”
:: Long-term strategies
“Consider becoming the boss of your anxiety,” says Williams. “Your narrative might sound something like this: ‘Yes, I know I suffer with you, Anxiety, but from now on, you will be known as The A Word. You are a symptom and I will treat you as such. I am the one who makes the plans and decides if we cancel, rearrange or follow through. You can pump out all the chemicals you like, but know this: life will go on’.”
Williams endorses getting a regular exercise habit, too. “Something as doable as a brisk walk or light jog can promote sufficient brain chemical activity to enhance your mood and successfully distract you,” she says. “Carve out a minimum of 15 minutes a day for activity that raises your heart rate.”
It’s also worth trying mindfulness, something nearly all of us know about now, but few actually do properly. “In its simplest terms, mindfulness is the practice of remaining in the present moment. By focusing on bodily sensations, feelings and thoughts (thought processes, rather than thought content), that racing head and churning gut may subside,” says Williams.
It’s also really important to build a network. Not just of friends, but all sorts of allies. “An anxiety support group may serve you well when it comes to voicing your anxiety experience,” says Williams. “Or you could join a local volunteering group. Saving the world may not be on your agenda, but volunteering groups tend to attract warm, welcoming, competent individuals who provide the perfect antidote, in a new setting, to all that rumination and projection.”
And finally, she reach out: “Never, ever hesitate to pick up the phone to the professionals," Williams says, the most obvious being your GP.
:: For more search Anxiety UK or Aware. Samaritans offer a free 24 hour helpline.
