Video Transcription

Anxiety 101

Anxiety is something that we all experience from time to time. Everyone has their own experience of anxiety. It comes and goes, it’s stronger in some situations than others, and for the most part, it shouldn’t hang around any longer than it needs to.

If anxiety is making it hard for you to do the things you want to do, there are ways to help manage these feelings. With some tips, understanding, and knowledge, we can start to better handle the effect that anxiety has in our lives.

Before we look at what you can do, it’s important to touch on what anxiety is and why our bodies produce these feelings in the first place.

As humans, we all feel fear. It’s part of our survival instinct, and throughout our evolution, we’ve developed a way of using fear to overcome dangerous threats. You might have heard of it before—it’s called the fight, flight, or freeze response.

When our ancestors were confronted by a ferocious animal, their bodies went through a physical process of getting ready to either run away as fast as they could, stand their ground and fight to defend themselves, or stay really still to avoid notice.

Obviously, today it’s not as common to find ourselves in those situations, but the fear response is still hardwired into all of us. Feelings of anxiety are very similar to this. Fear occurs when we are faced with or are in actual danger, and it prepares our bodies to face that danger.

Anxiety occurs when our mind thinks there is a potential threat, like being made fun of by others, going to a party by yourself, or failing an exam. Our body reacts to these potential dangers, triggering the feelings associated with anxiety, including an increased heart rate, sweating, faster breathing, and the feeling of butterflies in the stomach.

It’s sometimes a useful response that can even help us feel more motivated and prepared. But not when it sticks around for a long time, starts occurring in situations where you wouldn’t normally expect it, and gets in the way of you living the life that you want.

So now you know more about anxiety and why it happens. What can you do to manage it? Here are some essential tips:

Notice Your Thinking Patterns

Being aware of how our thoughts can influence anxiety is an important step toward managing it. This can help us understand what contributes to anxiety, what our triggers are, and how to handle them differently while learning new ways to respond.

Be Aware of Avoidance

It’s normal to want to avoid situations that make us feel anxious. It might work in the short term, but over time it can make our anxiety feel worse. This is because we don’t get the opportunity to learn that the thing we fear may not happen or be as bad as we think.

If we learn skills to cope with anxiety, like helpful self-talk and relaxation, then gradually we can put these skills into action and face the things that we fear. This helps us feel more confident and motivated to keep going.

Care for Yourself

Managing anxiety starts with good self-care. The activities that we do and the way we take care of our bodies all have a direct link to our mood and can influence the way we cope with anxiety and stress. Try things like eating well, getting enough good-quality sleep, and staying active to help your overall mental health and well-being.

Talk About It

It’s a good idea to talk about how you’re feeling, whether it’s with a trusted family member, friends, a teacher, coach, your mob, or Elders. They may be able to support you, help you understand what’s going on, help you stick to your self-care goals, and get extra help if needed.

Try New Breathing Strategies

Lots of anxiety symptoms involve a cycle of physical sensations—pounding heart, shortness of breath, trembling, and butterflies in the stomach. Working on slowing your breathing is a good way to help calm your body when you feel these physical sensations.

There are many apps that can help with breathing strategies. It might take some time to find the right relaxation strategy for you. Keep trying because they can make a big difference.

Limit Your Use of Alcohol and Other Drugs

While alcohol and other drugs might seem to help in the short term, they can make you feel much worse in the long term. So try not to rely on these as a way to cope.

Anxiety isn’t something we can get rid of or do away with forever, but we can learn skills that help us manage it. Remember, it can also be really useful in some situations, giving us the push to accomplish things we might have struggled with otherwise.

However, if it’s getting the best of you and creeping into other areas of your life, it’s a good idea to do something about it. Reach out for support from loved ones and people you trust, or access professional support online at eheadspace or at your local headspace center.

For more information on anxiety and ways to find support, visit headspace.org.au.