What Is Anxiety? Understanding How Anxiety Affects Your Nervous System
Anxiety is normal and healthy response to stress, uncertainty, or suspected danger. It has kept groups of people and individuals out of danger and is something that we actually need. Anxiety keeps us from falling off a cliff, trying to pet a wild tiger, or keeps us ready for action if a situation just doesn't feel right. Anxiety is a wonderful thing because it keeps us safe.
However, anxiety isn't always helpful and sometimes creates problems. Your boss calls you in for a one-on-one meeting and your thoughts spiral: what did I do wrong? Your heart is beating so hard you worry if you'll be okay. You think that you're about to get fired, and if you're fired, you'll have to find another job or you'll lose your house. And the anxiety spiral continues.
Even though you may logically know that the boss is probably calling you in for a meeting to discuss something completely unrelated to your worries, your nervous system believes otherwise. When the brain interprets a situation and signals "danger", the nervous system responds by getting you ready to take action. The nervous system can't discern whether the perceived threat is real or imagined. Because of this, your nervous system lights up when stressed, even if there is no physical danger, in the same way that it lights up when it encounters a real dangerous situation. Your nervous system doesn't know the difference between being called into the office by your boss and entering into a active bear den.
Signs of Anxiety
Chronic anxiety can have long term impacts on mental and physical wellbeing when left unaddressed.
People impacted by anxiety may notice overanalyzing situations, overthinking, feeling self conscious or self critical, racing thoughts, constant worry, and feeling overwhelmed. They may have a hard time relaxing, making decisions, or falling sleep, and may express feeling irritable, nervous, or having a sense of "impending doom".
Sometimes people discuss being impacted by physical symptoms, such as an upset stomach, uncontrollable trembling, feeling lightheaded, fast breathing, sweaty palms, face turning red, or a heart pounding. These experiences can make it hard to function and resume daily responsibilities. It can make it hard to hold conversations with people, focus on work, get a healthy amount of sleep, and other things that you'd like to be doing.