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Anxiety

  • Mar 20
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 28

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of being worried, scared or uneasy. It is usually a natural response to pressure, feeling threatened, or facing something important or unfamiliar. Everyone will feel anxious at multiple points throughout their lives. Anxiety can affect your body, your thoughts and your behaviour. When anxiety happens a lot, becomes hard to control or affects our everyday life is when we should seek further support.



Fight or Flight (click to expand)

The fight or flight mechanism is your body's built-in alarm system. When your brain senses danger, becomes stressed or overwhelmed, it quickly releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to get you ready to protect yourself. This can make you feel a number of ways:

  • Heart beating faster

  • Breathing quicker

  • Muscles tense

  • Feeling sick, shaky, sweaty, or edge.


These feelings are normal and are there to keep you safe, but sometimes they can switch on when there is no real danger, which is why anxiety can feel so strong in your body.






When is Anxiety a Problem?

Anxiety may become a problem when it happens a lot, feels hard to control, or begins to affect your everyday life. - like school, college, work, sleep, friendships, confidence or doing normal things. It can also be a sign to seek further help if your feelings of worry are very intense, last for a long time, causes you a lot of distress, or makes you avoid people, places or situations.



The Causes Anxiety

There is not always one single cause of anxiety. For lots of people, it can build up from a mix of things going on in their life, their past experiences, and how they naturally respond to stress. Some common causes are listed below.


Pressure and stress

Feeling under pressure from school, college, work, money, family life, or other responsibilities can make anxiety build up over time.

Difficult or upsetting experiences

Things like bullying, grief, trauma, abuse, neglect, racism, or being socially excluded can leave someone feeling unsafe or on edge, which can contribute to anxiety.

Big life changes or uncertainty

Changes such as moving school, exams, relationship problems, family changes, starting a new job, or not knowing what is going to happen next can trigger anxiety.

Upbringing and environment

The way we grow up and the environment around us can shape how safe, settled or stressed we feel, which may affect our anxiety levels.

Temperament and personal differences

Some people naturally emotions more strongly, worry more, or find uncertainty harder to cope with. That does not mean anything is "wrong" with them - it just means they may be more likely to experience anxiety.



Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety will show itself differently in everyone, we may notice this in many different ways mainly physically, mentally and our behaviour.


Physical

  • Sickness, diarrhoea, stomach pains and problems

  • Heart beating fast

  • Fast or shallow breathing

  • Feeling light headed, dizzy or faint

  • Grinding your teeth

  • Shaking or trembling

  • Sweating more than usual

  • Biting nails, skin picking

Feelings

  • Nervous, on edge and unable to relax

  • Overwhelmed

  • Like something bad is going to happen (sense of impending doom)

  • Out of control

  • Tired and grumpy

  • Needing reassurance or worrying you have upset someone

Behaviour

  • Finding it difficult to concentrate

  • Eating more or less than usual

  • Needing the toilet more

  • Fidgeting or feeling tense

  • Sleeping problems

  • Having panic attacks


Managing our Anxiety.

Even though you might be suffering with anxiety at the moment, it does not mean it will last forever. There are lots of things you can do to help make yourself feel better and overcome those feelings. But..... If those symptoms do stay and start taking over your life then it is important to seek professional help. Here are some things that might help you mange your anxiety.


Find local help

There are lots of different ways of getting help locally within King's Lynn. MAP located on the high street is free, drop-in centre that allows young people a space to go and get advice without booking an appointment. Pizza Projects Youth Group located at the Beacon, North Lynn is a free youth session every Friday at 3:30pm. Offering access to youth workers and trusted adults who can help.

Talking to someone you trust

Talking with someone you know and trust can be a real help. Whether that is a friend, a teacher, a relative or a community leader. Sometimes we just need a listening ear to calm our worries. Sometimes it is just the validation (it is ok to feel like that) that relieves some of the worries. This can feel difficult sometimes, but it is healthy to know that you are not the only one who has felt that way,

Grounding

Grounding techniques are used to bring you back to the present moment, aimed at calming that anxiety when it starts to feel overwhelming. Try the techniques below.


5-4-3-2-1 Senses Check

Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This can help pull your mind away from racing thoughts and back into the present moment.


Square Breathing

Breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, then hold for 4 again. Repeat a few times. This can help your breathing slow down when anxiety is making your body feel tense and panicky.


Doodle, colour or scribble

Drawing, colouring or even just making patterns on paper can give your brain a simple talk to help reduce the intensity of anxious feelings.


Listen for sounds

Stop and notice every sound you can hear - traffic, birds, a clock, voices, heating, music. Try to name each sound one by one. This shifts your attention away from anxious thoughts and into what is happening around you right now.

Self Help Techniques

Self help is the techniques, actions and processes that best help you when you are feeling anxious. It may be a walk, a doodle, breathing exercises or just listening to music. These are small strategies that you design to help cope when feelings of worry or unease arise.


More Help........

If you are seeing further help and advice about your mental health, please speak with your GP. Likewise there is lots of help available online via the organisations below.



Help in Crisis

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis please Click Here for support.

 
 
 

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