Symptoms of Anxiety You Shouldn’t Overlook
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While anxiety is a very normal response to stress in people’s lives, it’s important to recognize when that anxiety has become something more harmful. Anxiety can keep people from leading healthy and robust lives and can impact their ability to hold down jobs. It’s important that you don’t ignore or overlook these signs of anxiety. You’ll be better equipped to handle stressors when you overcome these symptoms.
Exhaustion
When you’re tired and overwhelmed all the time, you shouldn’t chalk it up to just being older. Exhaustion and fatigue are signs that your brain is not coping well with all your anxiety. It’s important to get help when you never have any energy, and you worry all the time. While daily stressors at work and in life can impact your energy levels, you should be able to get rest and feel more energized.
Sleeplessness
When you can’t get to sleep at night, it can certainly cause some daytime exhaustion. But being unable to turn off your mind and go to sleep every night is a good indication that you have anxiety issues to deal with. Staying up all night feeling stressed and fearful about life isn’t normal and it’s okay to get help for all those anxious feelings so you can sleep better at night.
Muscle Pain
Anxiety impacts your physical health as well as your mental health. Muscle pain due to muscle tension is a common symptom of anxiety. If you find your muscles in pain all the time, for no other reason, it could be that your anxiety levels are getting worse.
Worrying About Everything
It’s normal to worry about things that could happen to you. People make preparations for the unexpected by having insurance and other plans in place. But if you start worrying about tripping on the sidewalk, what will happen to your things after you die, and how your children can grow up in this world (when you don’t have kids yet), you might be dealing with more than just worry. This is one of many symptoms of anxiety you shouldn’t overlook. Too much worry can lead to paranoia which is another symptom of anxiety.
Isolation
If you find yourself avoiding everyone, this is a huge red flag. While normal stressors may require someone to step away temporarily, if you are pulling away from all of your relationships due to anxiety, it’s not healthy. This symptom of anxiety means that you are experiencing an unhealthy level of fear that is keeping you from healthy relationships. Don’t overlook it.
How to Reduce Anxiety
Many people experience anxiety because of trauma, overwhelming stress, and fears. Reducing anxiety often starts with identifying some of the underlying issues a person is dealing with. Fear of losing a job can lead to working too many hours which can take a physical toll on your body. This can result in more anxiety and stress, leading to working even more hours.
Reducing anxiety could start with working fewer hours and setting healthy boundaries. It could mean taking personal time to do a hobby you enjoy or incorporating an exercise regimen into your life. Reducing anxiety may require changing jobs to one that is less stressful. If money is the source of your stress, you might need to learn new budgeting techniques so you can avoid making hasty decisions out of fear. In an urgent situation, you might need to step away from a situation to breathe deeply and calm your mind.
How Can I Tell if I Need More Help?
While Yoga and certain vitamins can certainly help people manage their anxiety, for others it’s not enough. You can tell you need help to overcome your anxiety if what you are doing isn’t working and you don’t know what else to do. You can tell you need help when you find yourself avoiding normal life things like meeting with people and going to work. You can tell you need more help if you find yourself having panic attacks over little things like misplacing your keys in your own home.
Treating anxiety takes a multistep approach. Medications like hydroxyzine for anxiety can help reduce your symptoms so that you can work through the other steps. You might need therapy or other mental health treatments to help you overcome anxiety. It’s okay to not be okay and to admit you can’t do it on your own.