When you poke an amoeba, it shrinks or contracts to defend itself. Keep poking it and it becomes scared and does not trust the environment. Humans are “poked” by our triggers to anxiety, but we have an advantage over the amoeba: we can adapt and adjust to our new condition.
Anxiety can be confused as one of those “bad” emotions. In reality, there are no bad emotions and anxiety is a perfectly normal reaction to stress. Merriam-Webster defines stress as a “fear or nervousness about what might happen.: a feeling of wanting to do something very much.” It is important not to confuse feeling anxious with having an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder involves intense and persistent anxiety accompanies with debilitating symptoms making it difficult to function in normal daily activities. These disorders are typically diagnosed when fear of things that actually pose no threat is extreme and uncontrollable.
Triggers to anxiety vary greatly, but one of the biggest triggers common to many in the population is public speaking. It can be fun to be the center of attention, but it is also one of the most stressful things we do. Knowing that all eyes are on you, everyone is listening, and possibly judging your competence and appearance can become overwhelming. A technique I enjoy using to cope with that stress is pretending like no one is really listening closely to me. I figure if I mess up, they probably are not going to notice because they weren’t listening that hard. This is just a little trick though, in reality I hope what I’m saying is not just going in one ear and out the other.
There is a combination of psychological and physical symptoms that accompany anxiety. A few psychological symptoms include feelings of apprehension or dread, feeling restless or irritable, feeling tense or jumpy, anticipating the worst, constantly watching for signs of danger, or worrying what others are thinking about us. Physical symptoms may include rapid or pounding heartbeat, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, shaking or twitching, headache, fatigue or weakness, insomnia (when the mind just won’t stop!), nausea or upset stomach, and frequent urination or diarrhea.
Whenever any emotion becomes overwhelming, it is essential to utilize our coping skills. Remember, coping skills are band aids to deal with the immediate emotional distress, not a long-term solution. Each person has different strategies that work for them. To get some ideas if you are drawing a blank, check out this list of 50 Strategies to Beat Anxiety
Comment below with what triggers your anxiety.
