Navigating Anxiety- The Physical Changes and Tools to Help You Break the Cycle! by Ari Wilson
It took me a long time to realize that people experience their emotions in different ways. For me emotions are big. But for some, they are calm. For others, they are in between.
I have always experienced my emotions in larger ways than others, maybe partly due to my ADHD tendencies - and that’s okay! There are many people who are in my same situation. I used to think that getting too excited about something or too joyful to see somebody was being ‘too much’- but I have since learned that the people who appreciate you and who really matter will not think you are ‘too much.’ The same applies to people who experience life in small, quiet ways! Just because you have nothing to say, even when you are happy, doesn’t mean that something is wrong with you.
However, many people also experience their emotions in physical ways as well. Today I am going to talk specifically about anxiety, as sometimes I experience serious physical anxiety symptoms. I’m going to talk about three physical symptoms, and three things you can do to relieve some of the uncomfort that anxiety brings. As always, if you think you have symptoms of anxiety, you should talk to a medical professional or other trusted individual.
Physical effects of anxiety, while they are never comfortable, can be very interesting. One of the most important things to do before you do any further thinking about anxiety is to recognize what is going on in your body. You can ask yourself questions like ‘Why am I feeling like this? What happened that set this off?’ A lot of the time, anxiety goes off like a time bomb- there is usually something that triggered your symptoms!
Number 1: One of the most common symptoms I experience in a stressful situation or because of anxiety is what many doctors call an ‘anxiety stomach-ache’. Many times, this relates itself in common ways- including changes in appetite, cramps, and nausea. So why does this happen? One very interesting anatomical fact- there are nerve endings in your stomach that connect to your brain! Nervous stomach aches can happen because of something going on in your head. When I get stomach aches because of anxiety, it is so important to me that I recognize what is going on. Once I realize that it’s just irrational, I often feel a lot better.
Number 2: Another one of the most common anxiety experiences that happen to me are anxiety headaches. This often comes with a heat flash, or even sometimes a temperature drop. When these things happen to me, the most important tip I have to share is to make sure you are taking good care of yourself. Ask yourself a couple of questions; have I eaten? Have I slept enough? Have I drank any water? Have I spoken with someone I trust about situations in my life? These are important because when we take a minute to think about ourselves and recenter, a lot of the time it can help us figure out why we’re feeling a certain way.
Number 3: The final one that I have to share is one that can be a scary experience for people. Sometimes in anxiety inducing situations, many people experience a shortness of breath. This is due to the body going into fight or flight mode which can indicate that we are going through a nerve wracking experience. The most important thing I think to do here is to take a step back. Go somewhere where you’ll be able to calm down- perform breathing exercises, talk to a trusted individual, or find someone who can help you in the situation.
Hopefully these tips are helpful in navigating some common physical side effects of anxiety. Anxiety is a hard road to navigate, but the most important thing to remember is that it is in your control :).
Additional tools for when you may be in crisis:
U.S. Crisis Text Line: 741-741
Ohio Mobile Response and Stabilization Services: 1-888-418-MRSS (6777)