The Anxiety Trap
Anxiety can look different to each person, as far as their physical symptoms, although it often does the same thing in most people’s brains. First, when we are thinking about or encountering a nervous situation our hypothalmus/hippocampus floods with adrenaline and cortisol. This is the part of our brain that controls our heart rate, breathing, sleep, eating cycles, concentration and learning. Therefore physically you may find yourself having an increase in heart or breathing rate when anxious. You may sweat more, or begin thinking quickly, and perhaps overthinking something. You may also find yourself struggling to sleep, (laying awake in bed, or waking up in the middle of the night). And struggle to eat- either eating too much without being able to stop, or not having an appetite/feeling nauseous. People with anxiety tend to have digestion issues, and will often get headaches or stomachaches. You may also struggle to be focused, recall information or learn when your brain is anxious. (HELLO TEST ANXIETY?!)
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Depending on what you feel anxious about you may find yourself procrastinating a lot, always being late to social events, or extra early, becoming easily inpatient or irritable. And sometimes avoiding the things that make you anxious all together, like that high school reunion!
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What are your anxiety triggers? Have you ever taken the time to notice what creates anxious thoughts and feelings?
***Originally Posted May 8th 2018 on LVLHolistic’s Instagram page as a collaborative presentation regarding mental health and nutrition***