What is anxiety?

Well hello to you my reader chums!

 I suffer from anxiety, it's an element of my life I want to write about. Writing is something I find very therapeutic and therefore sharing an issue I deal with constantly will take a small weight off my shoulders. I hope by talking about this, some of you can also relate and not feel alone in the matter.

What is anxiety?

By definition anxiety is 'a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome'.

For me, this is the basis of what anxiety is and from there it just spirals out of control. I find it to be a very overwhelming feeling that's hard to pinpoint what's wrong. At times there are reasons which trigger feeling anxious, making the situation easier to cope with. However, at other times, the sensation just comes instantly for no apparent reason and these moments are the hardest to deal with. Personally, it comes in different waves, for instance, there's a panicky type of anxious where I have panic attacks and get very worked up, leaving me shaking/crying or a more full-body overwhelming sensation where my mind overtakes with thoughts, I'm just sad for no reason and just can't mentally function without wanting to cry. 

The panic anxious me tends to lose my appetite, feel sick, have a dry mouth and overall feel rather unwell. Yet this side of my anxiety is easier to control as I'm able to calm myself and normalise my breathing pattern. With the overwhelming side, it's harder to push me out of it because one thought leads to another which escalate, causing my mind to think up the worst possible thing, resulting in myself being an emotional mess. 

Anxiety is something I truly wish I didn't have because day to day life can be a struggle. Minor 'normal' things every other person can do for instance making a phone call, going out on their own, travelling/visiting new locations or even heading out with friends can be difficult. I know everyone has little anxieties which come before a test, or performing in a concert or going to the dentist for example, but an anxiety disorder is much more than those typical worries. It's these normal worries plus thousands of other thoughts, little things built on top of that with the feeling of doubt, fear and not being good enough mixed into one. 

I have good days and bad days with it, the good days are always fab as I feel free and happy, although the bad days aren't fun at all. On certain bad days, I can cope really well with how I'm feeling and therefore am able to get on with my day, focusing on the positives, laughing away with my pals. However there are those odd few really bad days where my anxiety gets too much, I become overwhelmed with emotions and getting increasingly frustrated.  I start to believe the way I feel ruins my relationship with others and hinders my everyday life; a very upsetting thought especially when anxiety has already taken over. 

Looking at it, there are ways in which it's prevented me from a lot of things, yet there are times that I battled through it and am proud of myself for getting there, being able to enjoy those moments.

Triggers of anxiety 

As I said previously, in certain situations it's unknown why I begin to feel anxious, yet there's a series of things that can set me off. One of the main triggers is not feeling safe. Wherever I go and whatever I'm doing I need to know I'm in a safe environment otherwise I get extremely anxious. This is the reason that when I attend parties, pubs or overcrowded locations, I like to have my best friends with me as I know they'll always look out for me. Obviously, with every aspect of my life they can't be with me and in these moments I, therefore, have to cope on my own, however, I do know they're only a phone call away which puts me at ease. 

Continuing on from feeling safe, crowded places is another significant factor in feeling anxious as I can't stand the feeling of being trapped and not having the chance to escape; it's honestly the worst experience ever. Other elements like heading to a new place or stepping out of my comfort zone are not easy as it's a situation where I'll think and overthink till I'm worried about every bad thing that can happen in that location. From the above I've mentioned, there's a collection of other situations as well where I can begin feeling like this.

Coping with anxiety

Dealing with anxiety is a tricky task, personal to each individual on how they cope. I can't pinpoint exactly what relieves this situation but there's an array of exercises that help me feel better. In the moments where I begin to panic and feel a panic attack coming on, there are ways that help me calm down. Firstly I try to normalise my breathing and to only focus on myself, pushing everything around out of my focus. An app that guides me along this is Calm. I use this whenever I need to just breathe and feel calm for the day. With someone advising you when you're feeling anxious it truly helps because they're going along that journey with you, therefore if panic attacks are something you struggle with I'd definitely recommend some sort of calming app or even soothing music. 

Another method that helps me is talking to my friends or those I trust who reassure me. This can be through text, call or in person, whichever way is accessible for you. Telling someone about how you're feeling can be difficult initially but if you trust them, I can guarantee you they'll want to help in every way they can. Explaining can be the trickiest part as others may not understand, however through time and learning what is wrong, your close ones will understand how to assist you at these times and make you feel better. 

I'd also suggest distracting yourself somehow with other interests, for instance watching a film, reading a book, listening to music or having a bath, pick whatever one works for you. Although if it's got to the point where there are no coping methods that are helping, it's important to seek advice from a doctor, either undertaking therapy, counselling sessions or any other options available.

 Mental health is a serious topic and despite if you think your issue isn't as important as a physical one, your health is a significant factor especially of the mind as is can prevent you from numerous things including your own happiness.

 Anxiety can be awful to deal with in everyday life and gaining that relief can really benefit you by not having this constant worry over you always.

For advice or to talk to someone about the issue you're facing, check out these mental health helplines.

How to cope with anxiety

I hope you found this more serious post informative and could relate if anxiety is something you struggle with. It's quite a long one but I've touched on everything I wanted to discuss. If any of my readers do want to chat whenever all my social links are on my blog, I'll happily listen and advise you the best I can!

tips on dealing with anxiety

Are there any tips or exercises you do to help cope when you're feeling anxious?

Thank you for reading <3

12 comments

  1. Sometimes I can have quite bad days where I will just feel really anxious and panicky (sometimes for no reason), and I have also had a few panic attacks in my life. They aren't nice at all! When I feel panicky I drink water and take deep breaths and it usually helps a little. I also try to think about positive things! x

    Charlotte ~ http://allthingsmakeupbeautyandlife.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Thank you for sharing this and for those tips! It's a relief to know I'm not the only one who feels this way at times xxx

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  2. I know how you feel. I´ve suffer from anxiety since I was 12! It is the worst thing in the world, and sometimes I just feel really lonely thinking there is nobody else that feels what I feel, so thank you for sharing this, I dont feel so alone now :)



    www.our2bedroomapartment.blogspot.pt

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    1. You're welcome, glad you enjoyed your post! Always here if you want to chat :)

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  3. This is is such a helpful post, Della♥♥
    chocolateandsunset.com

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    1. Thank you so much, glad you found it helpful! ❤️

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  4. Lovely post, I think it will help a lot of people! It's so sad that you have to suffer from that, I almost want to say sorry that you have to. You're such a beautiful, talented girl, please try not to let this hold you back!

    All my love xxx

    lushivity.blogspot.co.uk xxx

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    1. Thank you for this lovely comment, those kind words truly mean the world to me! I really hope this post does help others! xxx

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  5. Isn't it amazing that even though we feel all alone with our issues; there is always someone going through it too? I'm part of the club too. My anxiety is different and weird with no real trigger (makes it that much more harder to prevent). A way to cope, for me, is a weighted blanket. There is such comfort and safety in it. Mine is 25lbs and it is great. Deep pressure acts like a reboot for the central nervous system, so blanket or tight hug can help. If you get a chance, watch the movie Temple Grandin (with Claire Danes). It's an amazing movie based on the life of Temple Grandin. Her explanation of deep pressure is really neat.

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    1. It is amazing really! Oh wow I never knew about deep pressure for a way to cope or relieve, thank you for the tip lovely! X

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