By Pablee Wong, MC, RCC, RMFT, RPT-S

Struggling with anxiety can be a very frustrating, unpleasant and exhausting experience. Daily routines may be hindered or delayed, physical symptoms may draw unwanted attention, even enjoyable activities may require extra effort to actualize. Anxiety could potentially be a significant roadblock to an otherwise carefree life. If left unattended, anxiety can become a distressing problem to live with.

Some of the common symptoms of anxiety include:

Physical Symptoms:

  • Chest pain, chest tightness or discomfort
  • Muscle tension or twitching
  • Headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, etc
  • Accelerated heartbeat, Shortness of breath
  • Stomach pain or cramps, diarrhea
  • Feeling dizzy, lightheaded or feeling like fainting
  • Feelings of unreality, strangeness, or detachment from the environment
  • Feeling tired, exhausted or fatigue
  • Nauseated
  • Body trembling, hands shaking
  • Increase of body temperature, sweating, hot flushes, blushing or red face
  • Cold or chills
  • Inability to relax, Startle easily
  • Frequent urination
  • Allergic reactions
  • Insomnia

Emotional Symptoms:

  • Feeling anxious, helpless, hopeless, depressed or worried
  • Exaggerated worry and tension
  • Irritability
  • Teary & easily sad
  • Sense of helplessness
  • Easily overwhelmed
  • Heightened self awareness & sensitivity
  • Easily agitated or irritable
  • Emotionally fragile
  • Repetitive habits (e.g., washing hands)

Thinking Pattern:

  • Preoccupied with certain worries or fears
  • Disoriented, spacing out, or mind going blank
  • Feel like losing control over things
  • Recurring unpleasant thoughts
  • Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
  • Difficulty thinking, focusing, speaking
  • Difficulty formulating thoughts or following conversations
  • Feel like a failure or feel defeated
  • Feel incompetent or not good enough

What you can do to cope with Anxiety:

When people feel anxious, they mostly feel overwhelmed and unable to take charge of their situation. They are afraid of the unknown and whether they are capable enough to deal with the challenges ahead. Therefore, in addition to accepting your struggles, it is important to take steps to maximize your sense of control in your daily life.

Acknowledge your feelings: It is rather difficult to deal with any challenges when you are not aware of what they are or in denial of their existence. Therefore, it is important for you to acknowledge your own experience even though the truth may be hard to accept. Instead of denying your emotions, try telling yourself, “yes, I feel very worried about ________ and I am feeling very anxious.” Accepting yourself, your feelings and your experience will help you to feel less overwhelmed and less helpless.

Make Plans: Instead of feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the task at hand, you may be able to have a better sense of control by preparing yourself and making plans ahead of time.

Prioritize your tasks: Sometimes people feel anxious and overwhelmed when thinking about the many things they need to do. They feel out of control and experience a sense of helplessness. Therefore, prioritizing your tasks and trying to accomplish the easiest ones may help you to gain a sense of control. Productivity creates a sense of positive change which is empowering.

Take good care of yourself: Rest enough, exercise regularly and maintain a balanced diet. These will all help to improve your immune system. Physical health is closely associated with psychological and emotional well being.

Journal your feelings & your thoughts: Journaling your thoughts and worries will help you to acknowledge your feelings. By accepting your feelings and validating your own experiences, you will achieve a greater sense of control of your own life.

Seek Professional Help: Sometimes simple tips are difficult to follow and may not help you at all. It can also be hard to follow steps from self-help books to fight your anxiety, especially when you are unable to focus and concentrate your thoughts. As these overwhelming emotional experiences may be tough to battle with, seeking counselling support may be helpful. During the counselling process, the therapist may be able to explore the roots and alternatives to your problem.

The Vancouver Wishing Wells Counselling Service provides counselling support in the Vancouver area. Our counselling services include Individual Counselling, Couples & Family Counselling, Children Counselling & Play Therapy, Parent-Child Relationship Support & Filial Therapy, Child Behavior Consultation and Support, and Counselling for Adolescence. Should you need to discuss with one of our therapists for consultation, please Contact Us for more information.

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