I had an uncle once tell me, “I tend to worry about everything. In fact, I worry when I don’t have anything to worry about!” Plenty of us know that feeling.
Have you ever left the house and then suddenly panicked because you thought you forgot something? Maybe you’ve spent hours tossing and turning in the middle of the night, thinking about worst-case scenarios.
You’re not alone. Anxiety and worry are reaching epidemic levels in America. Though we all worry about different things, the feelings we experience are surprisingly similar.
Why Do We Have Worrisome Thoughts?
Our minds operate in a specific way. We entertain thousands of thoughts a day, and we automatically attach various feelings to those thoughts.
Two people can have the same thought but experience very different feelings about it. For example, thinking “I have to take a test in the morning!” may cause some people to worry, while others may feel eager or even enthusiastic.
Worrying often stems from a preoccupation with the future. We might therefore define “worry” as a mental process that involves ruminating on or anticipating possibilities we perceive as unpleasant. It presents itself by plaguing our minds with “what-if” scenarios.
At the thought level, worry is both episodic and habitual. It’s not an emotion or a feeling, but feelings and emotions can certainly attach themselves to worrisome thoughts.
We might worry in response to environmental stimuli. For instance, when dashboard lights come on in our cars, we’ll worry as we wonder if we’ll be able to make it to work.
Then again, many people share my uncle’s disposition to worry. They feel anxious or nervous, regardless of the circumstances.
Whatever the case, it’s important that we maintain an awareness of how we worry. As Aristotle observed, frequent thoughts can become habits of the mind.
When we routinely fret over things outside of our control, we begin to be consumed by worry. We become worrisome.
When Are Feelings of Anxiety Indicative of a Larger Problem?
Anxiety is a feeling we experience, sometimes accompanied by physiological symptoms. It’s often triggered by an emotional response to a current or perceived threat.
Speaking generally, our feelings are meant to nudge us toward or away from the things that we think about. Like musical notes in a score, feelings give our thoughts a tone which can be pleasurable or painful.
We have all had bouts of anxiety to some degree or another, and we can agree that it’s rather unpleasant. Very often, anxiety arises when we feel vulnerable.
For example, public speaking is something that can cause anxiety, because we know there will be a lot of eyes on us. Similarly, taking tests causes anxiety for students who fear they will perform poorly and compromise their grades.
Fear and anxiety are perfectly natural responses to stressful situations. When these feelings are more than episodic and last longer than six months, they’re likely the product of a condition known as “generalized anxiety disorder” or “GAD.”
Living with GAD can be an isolating experience. We silently suffer with our anxiety because we often assume that, if we were to tell others about it, they would see us as weak or even crazy. The statistics, however, tell a different story.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, almost 30% of American adults – more than one in four – report having problems with anxiety. Among college students, nearly one-third have a generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis. Women suffer from anxiety more than men, and only about one-third of all anxiety sufferers seek treatment.
How Can We Overcome Feelings of Anxiety and Worry?
Ideally, anxiety and worry should help us to protect ourselves and guard us from perceived danger. They are our mental defense systems, and they serve a purpose, but we don’t want them to rule our lives.
As with all things in the mental health world, there are several opinions about whether we can eliminate unwarranted anxiety and worry. The better question is, “Can we tame our anxiety and worry so that we remain in control of our thoughts and feelings?” The answer to that is a resounding “Yes!”
Learning to Live in the Moment
The practice of mindfulness is receiving a lot of attention lately in mental health circles. Studies show that practicing mindfulness regularly benefits people with anxiety.
In a way, these findings aren’t surprising. After all, anxiety is rooted in concerns about the future and the unknown.
Mindfulness, on the other hand, is the practice of moment-by-moment observation. It requires us to pull our thoughts back to the present moment.
Practicing mindfulness helps us create a new habit of living in the moment instead of worrying about the future. We may not always be able to control how we feel, but we can practice controlling what we think.
Another mindfulness technique that really helped me was to take the object of my worry or anxiety and simply observe it. During a day when I have anxious thoughts, I tell myself, “You’re having this thought, not because it’s true, but because you have anxiety.”
By isolating and objectifying my experience of anxiety, I was able to minimize the power it had over my thoughts and life.
Prioritizing Deep Breathing to Relieve Anxiety and Worry
Because anxiety is a feeling, it initiates the brain’s “fight or flight” response. As a result, we experience physical reactions that often include shallow breathing, increased blood pressure and increased cortisol levels.
We can reverse this autonomic response through deep breathing. Deep breathing involves inhaling deeply, briefly holding your breath, slowly exhaling, and repeating these steps.
Through deep breathing, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system. In other words, this type of breathing helps you override your “fight or flight” response.
Persistent and regular practice is important. Also, keep in mind that you can engage in mindfulness and do deep breathing at the same time.
Addressing Stress through Nutrition
On a personal note, it wasn’t until I began taking magnesium bisglycinate supplements that my anxiety dissipated. It turns out that the stress of worry and anxiety depletes our bodies of magnesium.
The lack of magnesium in our diets can make us more susceptible to stress. It’s a vicious cycle!
Recent estimates concluded that 72% of Americans are not getting enough magnesium in their diets. Unfortunately, because this mineral is stored in our bones, it’s tough to determine deficiencies from basic lab work.
While magnesium is considered safe to consume, there are a few things to keep in mind if you’re looking to increase your intake:
- First, be sure to discuss your plans with your doctor. Magnesium can lower blood pressure and may not be safe for people with certain preexisting conditions.
- Dark, leafy greens contain high levels of magnesium. Consider adding a daily salad or a regular serving of greens to your diet to help increase your magnesium levels.
- If you intend to take supplements, opt for magnesium glycinate or magnesium bisglycinate. Other forms of magnesium, while generally safe, may upset your stomach.
Staying Active Is Good for Relieving Stress
We all know the benefits of exercise for our physical heath, but physical activity also has profound effects on our mental health. All exercise is good exercise, whether you’re walking or lifting weights.
However, our bodies seem to benefit most when we can get our heart rates into zone 2. Most smartwatches can help you measure your heart rate while you work out.
If exercising isn’t an option, you can use a sauna to enjoy some of the same benefits. Studies suggest regular sauna bathing can help decrease blood pressure and reduce anxiety.
Most modern gyms now have saunas or steam baths. Just to be safe, though, check with your doctor before using a sauna for the first time.
Anxiety and Worry Can Be an Invitation to Greater Self-Discovery
Feelings of anxiety and worrisome thoughts can become so regular that we’re not even aware of how often we experience them. By the time we realize there’s an issue, the requisite habits of thought have already changed the topography of the brain.
Like a river carving its way through rock over time, our thought patterns begin to form microscopic neural “grooves” in the brain. These grooves make future thoughts more likely to follow the same pathway.
Working our way out of anxiety and worry and improving our mental health involves a deep commitment. We must find the true source of these thoughts and actively change how we approach them. Success, in my experience, lies in looking at all possible causes, both emotional and physical.
Furthermore, a conscious, ongoing effort to assess problems from different perspectives can yield powerful results over time. Anxiety and worry aren’t random events that “just happen.” We can investigate their causes and learn more about ourselves in the process.
