Why Anxiety Affects Lives

Stress is a silent killer and it slowly eats away at our mental and physical capacities until we decide to combat it or simply succumb to its tyranny. Everyone has heard about the negative effects of stress and how it is damaging our bodies, but most people do not realize that stress is much like pain; even though it is unpleasant, it is also useful in the right amounts.

Pain lets you know that something is wrong and it is your body’s way of telling you to pay attention. Stress and anxiety work in much the same way; it is your brain’s way of telling you that you are facing an important challenge, and it can help you focus on the tasks ahead. So, when does it become unhealthy? Like pain, it is unhealthy when it is overwhelming or when the “signal” is broken and there is no need for anxiety.

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Healthy Anxiety: The Evolution of the Fight or Flight Response

Healthy anxiety is an evolutionary tool that once worked along with our flight or fight response. The feeling you get when you are about to write a big exam or face a boardroom full of expectant investors is part of that response system, and it allows us to focus all our energies on the task and get it done. This is called healthy anxiety and it is part of our natural range of defenses. When this system goes haywire, we are “on edge” too often and this can quickly weigh on our energy levels, our mental capacities, and even our emotional capacities.

Why Anxiety Affects Lives

When Anxiety Begins to Take Over

Generally anxious people tend to be anxious about everything, and you can imagine how this begins to wear them down. When you are anxious, your body prepares itself for that same “fight or flight” reaction that you would get when you confronted a fierce animal or when you are about to give a speech in a large auditorium. Without realizing it, most people go days, weeks and even years in this state, and gradually their bodies begin to tire. People that are overly anxious tend to forget things more easily (a fact which causes their anxiety levels to rise), they tend to be more overly emotional, and they tend to sleep poorly. In order to rest well, your mind needs to be calm and relaxed, and those that spend their days in an anxious state find it more difficult to “switch off”.

Locating the Problem and Finding the Solution

Anxiety can truly affect every aspect of your life, and the problem is that you might not even be aware of it. When you are anxious constantly, your body begins to grow accustomed to it and so you tend to forget what it was like to let go of the anxiety until the time calls for it. Most people do not realize the strain they are putting their bodies through until they begin to get ulcers, panic attacks, or even cancer, and so it is very important for you to begin recognizing the signs early so that you can find ways to combat this problem. Anxiety does not have to control your life; once you recognize it, you can take measures to ensure that it is a helpful part of your existence and not your master.