Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. A little bit of worry is part of life. You might find yourself worrying about normal life stressors related to your career, finances, or relationships. These stressors can serve a useful purpose at times by motivating you to be productive or reach a specific goal.
But the problem starts when these worries consume you.
Most people can overcome these thoughts and move on. Unfortunately, for someone with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the worrying grows out of control. Your intrusive thoughts take hold and prevent you from living life. Most days, you feel worried about things even when you can’t exactly identify a single underlying cause.
When these persistent and pervasive thoughts linger and disrupt your daily life, it’s a sign that you might be experiencing something more than a little bit of worry.
For someone suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, it’s not about sudden feelings of panic and being overwhelmed,” said Dr. Mottsin Thomas of bonmente. “It’s more about the lingering feelings that make it hard to concentrate and function each day.”
Common Signs of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Everyone has different triggers that cause stress. Bouts of situational stress can arise from meeting deadlines at work to facing a significant life change like the death of a loved one. Your personal stress level will differ based on your personality and response.
If you feel increasing worry, intrusive thoughts, and lingering uncertainty, watch out for these common signs that anxiety might be taking over your life.
- Upset stomach
- Increased agitation or irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Depression
- Sleep problems
How To Break Free From Worry
1. Take a timeout.
2. Remember to breathe.
You can get your body to relax with something as simple and available as breathing. Yes, this thing you do without any thought is an amazing tool for managing anxiety. You can try alternate nostril breathing, where you breathe in and out of one nostril while holding the other closed. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is also effective. To do the 4-7-8 technique you’ll part your lips and make a “whoosh” sound as you exhale completely. Then you close your lips and inhale silently as you count to four in your head. Hold that breath for seven seconds. And finally, exhale with the “whoosh” for a count of eight. Do this for four breaths, holding your tongue against the roof of your mouth through the whole process, and you should feel more relaxed.
3. Turn fears into curiosity.
Studying your anxiety is probably the last thing you want to do, but it can be helpful. Look at it like you’re a detective and try to identify what may be triggering anxiety for you. Maybe it’s work-related, perhaps it’s relationship-based? Discovering sources could allow you to better prepare and manage anxiety when the trigger is introduced. Journaling is great in helping to identify triggers, as it gives you a task to focus on when you feel out of control and ends up giving you a lot of data relating to your anxiety.
Everyone’s anxiety is different.
Since we all experience anxiety differently, it’s essential to create a treatment plan designed to work for YOU. With treatment at bonmente, you can take control of anxiety and unburden yourself of constant worry. Reach out to today for personalized support.
