“He's late—he was supposed to be here 20 minutes ago! Oh my God, he must have been in an accident!”
“I can't sleep—I just feel such dread… and I don't know why!”
Sounds familiar? These thoughts might race through your mind, each one piling on more worry and anxiety. The uncertainty can feel overwhelming, spiraling out of control until you get some sort of confirmation that everything is okay. It's like your mind is a runaway train of 'what ifs' and worst-case scenarios, and you can't find the brakes. This constant state of worry can lead to a range of symptoms that start to affect your daily life.
When you're worried about your partner not answering the phone or awaiting project feedback, it can lead to restlessness, muscle tension, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms may disrupt sleep and make you easily irritated. To cope, consider proactive strategies like changing your perspective on worries, calling friends for support, or using your physical senses to ground yourself. Additionally, when facing social anxiety at a party, being with friends provides a safety net, boosting confidence and easing worries.
In moments without a friend nearby, use your senses—see something nice, hear calming sounds, smell pleasant scents, taste your favorite treat, or feel comfort through touch or movement—to shift your focus and calm your nervous system.
Borkovec, T. D., & Newman, M. G. (1998). Worry and generalized anxiety disorder. Comprehensive clinical psychology, 6, 439-459. LinkPanayiotou, G., & Karekla, M. (2013). Perceived social support helps, but does not buffer the negative impact of anxiety disorders on quality of life and perceived stress. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 48, 283-294. Link
When it comes to anxiety, you might wonder what comes first: the chicken or the egg? In other words, does anxiety cause scary events to feel scarier, or do scary events cause more anxiety?
It's a bit of both.
Imagine you're on a plane that hits some turbulence. If you're already prone to anxiety, you might find this experience really frightening, even if it's just normal bumps. On the other hand, if this is one of your first flights and it's a rough one, you might start feeling anxious about flying in the future, even though flying is generally safe.
Your brain is designed to keep you safe. The anxiety part of the brain, the amygdala, is like a radar that is trained to spot dangerous objects and situations. When this “radar” spots something that could be dangerous, it tells the brain to begin the fight or run away, producing the uncomfortable feelings you get when you are anxious.
Understanding your triggers is a big step in managing your anxiety. It's like being a detective in your own life, uncovering clues to help you feel better. Remember, whether the chicken or the egg came first doesn't matter as much as understanding how they affect each other in your world.
“What if I don’t know what triggers my anxiety?”
To identify what makes you anxious, ask yourself the following questions:
a. When I feel scared or nervous, what am I thinking about?
b. Am I worried about having more anxiety in the future?
c. Am I afraid of body sensations that remind me of anxiety attacks?
d. Am I worried that I will not be able to cope if bad things happen?
Forster, G. L., Novick, A. M., Scholl, J. L., & Watt, M. J. (2012). The role of the amygdala in anxiety disorders. The amygdala-a discrete multitasking manager, 61-102. Link
Davis, M. (1992). The role of the amygdala in fear and anxiety. Annual review of neuroscience, 15(1), 353-375. Link