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Lying awake at night with worries racing through our minds. Restless, jittery feelings when we try to concentrate on something. Overwhelming feelings of panic or dread that seem to come from nowhere. Losing patience and snapping at our family or friends. Physical problems like stomach ache, nausea, irritable bowel, headache, sweating, shaking, dizziness, frequent urination, fatigue and change in appetite
Anxiety is a feeling of fear, worry or unease and is often a response to stress. People can feel stressed when demands are placed on them which require them to perform in certain ways or accomplish certain tasks. Stress and anxiety are part of everyday life. Most people at some time will experience them. A certain amount of stress can even be good for us. Feeling anxious about something can provide the motivation to do the things we need to do and to overcome obstacles. It is a normal, healthy and necessary part of life. But sometimes fears can take over and it can seem as if more time is spent worrying about life than actually living it.
So how can we tell when anxiety is becoming a problem?
When anxiety takes over it can cause physical and emotional symptoms that can negatively affect us. This is a problem when it interferes with the ability to cope with day to day life. Some of the common symptoms of chronic anxiety include:
• Not sleeping, or waking frequently during the night..
• Racing thoughts where we can't seem to switch our minds off and relax.
• Restlessness, jittery feelings that make it hard to slow down or concentrate.
• Feelings of panic or dread.
• Losing our temper easily and snapping at those around us.
• Feeling unwell physically with no apparent cause: stomach ache, nausea, irritable bowel, headache, sweating, shaking, dizziness, frequent urination, fatigue and change in appetite .
For someone experiencing chronic anxiety life can become a tightrope with constant worries about getting things right or about what may happen in the future. They may begin to avoid doing the things they want or need to do because of their anxious feelings. This can have a negative impact on their careers or relationships and can make it difficult to embrace change and move on with life. The fear and worry can become paralysing and may us to stay at home and not mix with others.
Sadly many people ignore these signs of chronic anxiety. This is a shame as they are not just distressing but are can also lead to long term health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and panic attacks.
There are a number of simple strategies that can be used to help manage stress and improve overall quality of life. See the articles below for some of these strategies.
https://www.janejustincounselling.ie/single-post/2018/11/07/Is-Anxiety-Making-Me-Ill
https://www.janejustincounselling.ie/single-post/2018/10/22/5-Simple-Tips-to-Help-you-Cope-with-Anxiety
Make a change today.
Have a great week,
Jane
Newbridge, Co. Kildare
Portlaoise, Co. Laois
086 8888583
info@janejustincounselling.ie
www.janejustincounselling.ie