Anxiety Basics
Anxiety is a complex system in the body. When looking at anxiety's very core, it is designed to be a helpful system alerting the body to danger. The anxiety response is a fine-tuned mechanism that devotes its entire purpose to keeping you alive, safe, and alert. This is often referred to as the 'Fight or Flight' response.
However, your brain does not always differentiate between danger and stress. The more the fight or flight response is activated, the quicker the reaction will occur within your body. What this means is that over time, the more stress you live with, the easier it will be to activate the fight or flight response and develop longer lasting anxiety. Even chronic 'low to medium' stressors can become unmanageable over time. In a society that glorifies being busy, it is clear why so many people are developing anxiety - at alarmingly young ages. Over 25% of Canadians reported that mental health problems - like anxiety - impacted their life in major ways.
Anxiety can show up in many areas of your life. What was once a mechanism designed to spot life threatening dangers can now become activated by situations that are not life threatening at all. This helpful response can become extremely unhelpful very quickly.
In Canada, anxiety disorders are one of the most prominent mental health conditions. Over 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem this year, and with the rise of the coronavirus, these numbers are expected to be much higher.
Although anxiety can become overwhelming and difficult to manage, there are many ways to build resiliency against it. First, it is important to become aware of how anxiety is impacting your life and think about how you would like it to be different. Next, explore your own self-care and see if there are areas of your life that have been a bit neglected, such as sleep routine, regular meals and drinking water. When you prioritize your self-care and nourish your body, it is better able to build habits that maintain well-being. Finally, if your anxiety is at a place where it seems unmanageable, or you are not sure what else to try, reach out for help.
