Like all emotional states, anxiety has three important characteristics. For one, anxiety invites us to take action—to protect ourselves in the face of perceived danger. Second, anxiety is impermanent. Even experiences of intense anxiety fade away in time. Third, anxiety is a complex blend of thoughts, physical sensations, and urges to behave in certain ways.
Anxiety-based thinking has four underlying themes. These include negative predictions about the future, focusing on the negative aspects of past events, perfectionism, and self-judgment.
Anxiety is marked by strong physical sensations. Some common examples are sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and nausea.
Anxiety creates urges to behave in self-defeating ways. People often try to prevent anxiety by avoiding certain events, depending on excessive safety behaviors, procrastinating, overpreparing for events, distracting themselves with intensely absorbing activities, hiding their thoughts and feelings, and venting other powerful emotions.
The elements of anxiety create a feedback loop. Thoughts, sensations, and behaviors are intimately linked. They can trigger each other and even build on each other.
There are many types of anxiety disorders. These include generalized anxiety disorder, simple phobias, social phobias, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Anxiety has multiple sources. We are genetically wired to experience anxiety as the “fight or flight” syndrome. Traumatic events are additional sources of anxiety, and so are ineffective coping strategies.
Remember every strategy for coping with anxiety has a purpose. For example, imagining what can go wrong with your next big presentation at work is one way to avoid making mistakes. Avoiding social events is a way to prevent yourself from feeling humiliated. Eating high-fat “comfort food” is a way to counter the physical sensations of anxiety.
Strategies for coping with anxiety can also have big costs. If you focus on what can go wrong in the future, then you’re likely to forget or downplay your strengths. If you avoid seeing people, then you miss the chance to make new friends or stay in touch with relatives. And if you consume too many high-fat foods, you could set the stage for chronic health problems.
To manage anxiety, start with discovering how you experience it. Take an inventory of your anxiety triggers, thinking, physical sensations, and behaviors. This can be challenging, but it can also fuel your desire to change.
Know when to get professional help for anxiety. If anxiety symptoms interfere with your daily life for two weeks or more, then see your doctor. Ask about options for treating anxiety with medication and psychotherapy. Don’t expect immediate relief from therapy, but do look for signs that you’re moving through the stages of change.
Create a self-help plan for managing anxiety. Some suggested strategies are to