A New Month: Time to Check Your Mental Health – 4 Signs That You Might Be Experiencing Anxiety and How to Manage It

As we start a new month and wind down to a new year (only 4 months left),  isn’t it time to do a quick check on yours mental wellness? The fall-out from the pandemic has taken its toll on many, not to mention so many adverse events people are living through, i.e. fires, hurricanes, financial concerns, a voting year, school is back –  I could go on but stress and anxiety are still prevalent.

 

Change is a major cause of anxiety, which is an automatic response that occurs in the body. Anxiety is worry about the future and what will happen. If not managed, it can spiral out of control, leading to a host of emotional and physical problems.

 

Feeling anxious every once in a while is common but having an anxiety disorder are two very different things – when you are continually in an anxiety state, without it being managed, can lead to an anxiety disorder.

 

While there are different types of anxiety disorders (i.e. situational anxiety, social anxiety, etc.),  a common thread between them all is that it interferes with your daily life and can really cause havoc if left unnoticed or untreated.

 

Here are four signs that may signal you are dealing with an anxiety disorder:

Your Anxious Thoughts Don’t Go Away

When you have an anxiety disorder, you often become incredibly anxious in situations where others might only get a little anxious, like during family or social gatherings. This anxiety also tends to last longer and is more persistent. When your anxious thoughts start to impact your daily life, that’s when it becomes an issue.

It can seem that no matter how hard you try to avoid anxious thoughts or worry, they seem stronger which increases any anxiety already felt. The more you push away, the stronger they come back. It can seem like you’re on the hamster wheel you can’t get off of.

 

Your Anxiety Manifests Itself Physically

If your anxious thoughts are accompanied by physical conditions, such as  restlessness, fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, inability to sleep or eating problems, among others, it could signal that you have an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders can lead to gastrointestinal issues, like heartburn, cramping, and even diarrhea. These physical symptoms are as a result of your body being in a constant heightened state of anxiety.

 

You Can’t Concentrate or Focus

It isn’t that uncommon for people who have a general anxiety disorder to be mistakenly diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is because when you have an anxiety disorder, you tend to have difficulty focusing.

When you’re always anxious, you tend to be in your head constantly and can get distracted by the negative thoughts and obsessions rattling around. Due to the hormone, cortisol which is automatically released when the amygdala (fight or flight) is triggered, the prefrontal cortex or executive functions  of the brain is adversely affected, thereby, leading to concentration problems. You also may start to lose or forget things.

 

You Have Trouble Sleeping

The anxiety that you experience tends to take your thoughts on a ride that leaves you struggling to catch some zzz’s. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), some level of sleep disruption is present in almost all mental disorders, including anxiety.

 

The more you have trouble falling sleep, or waking up in the middle of the night, the more you will dread sleep which increases anxiety. Even if you are able to fall asleep, unrestful sleep has a negative impact in all areas, but can be detrimental to driving, working, and making decisions.

 

If you have more than one of these symptoms, there’s a good chance that you might be dealing with an anxiety disorder. However, before you jump to any conclusions, it’s best to speak with your doctor to rule out any other conditions, because anxiety symptoms often mimic other medical conditions.

 

Fortunately, anxiety disorders can be treated so that you can learn to manage your symptoms and get back to living your life. You have the power to overcome but it’s not as easy if anxiety takes over.

 

It’s important to understand that we all get anxious feelings, which results from change and stressors in our lives. Even good stress (Eustress) will result in emotional and physical feelings. It’s when these get prolonged and out-of-control is when you need to see help.

 

Using mindfulness practices, such as meditation, journaling, walking, eating healthy, and others are ways to better manage anxiety. Challenging your thoughts is the way to stop worry and thinking ahead – you don’t know the outcome, despite believing it, but you can be solution-focused to better prepare for those future outcomes. Another way is to seek the help of a coach or therapist to help you on this journey. All of these will help you to end the year on a good note to prepare for what is to come.

 

 

If you find that your experiencing levels of stress and anxiety, you don’t have to suffer – reach out to get help. We’re here for you.

 

 

 

Understand Work Stress Burnout And Take Back Control Today

Work stress today is very prevalent at all levels; prior to the pandemic, work stress was high but, since, work stress is out of control. According to the American Institute of Stress, 80% of workers feel stress on the job. I am sure that number is higher in certain industries, such as restaurants and retail.

The effects of stress can be very detrimental to one’s health and well-being, the effects which can be long-lasting. You may be experiencing the symptoms of work stress burnout no matter your age.

Symptoms of Work Stress

In order to manage stress, you need to understand what the symptoms are before you can take control of it. The symptoms will vary by each person, but there are some general ways stress presents itself. Here are some questions to answer:

+ Are you feeling a lack of personal achievement and satisfaction at work? This is one of the early warning signs.

+ Is going to work a time-consuming drudgery and work itself a day-long bore?

+ Do you get frustrated more easily and/or getting angry with work, your coworkers, your boss or customers?

+ Do you find yourself tired, both physically and mentally?

+ Are you having frequent headaches, backaches, eye strain, or neck pain?

+ Having problems sleeping, either falling asleep or frequently waking up?

+ Are you having trouble eating – either too much, reaching for foods with sugar, or not eating a lot due to an anxious stomach?

+ Do you have racing thoughts that seem to permeate areas of your day?

+ Are you feel anxious during the day, or worry about the future? Have heart palpitations or chest pain?

 

If you answered yes to these, you’re not alone. You are experiencing the effects of stress and may be on the downhill slide to burnout.

You may not be aware of the severity of these symptoms as you may ignore them or attribute them to some external factor. But they can creep on your slowly, taking its toll on your physical and emotional health.  Others may not  understand what you are going through, as burnout is extremely personal in nature – you are having the crisis, not them.

There are emotional and physical symptoms associated with what you are going through.

Emotional symptoms of stress at work…

The emotional symptoms usually show up as the first sign of burn out. You may often feel an unrelenting stress, lack enthusiasm, have a sense of loss of control as well as experience an unexplainable grief.

You may want to blame those around you for the way you feel, but this rarely resolves the inner turmoil that you are experiencing.

In severe cases of work stress, many people experience a sense of total detachment and wanting to escape the situation; the more they have these thoughts, the more detached and shut down they can become.

This feeling often results in a loss of productivity and creativity. It also fuels negativity and cynicism, with a quickness to get angry and blame others. Over time you may find solace in detaching yourself from others by isolating from your team members; however this will not resolve the issue.

One of the biggest effects of prolonged stress is feelings of guilt and shame – this list could go on, but many feel guilty for not working as hard or contributing as their teammates, or just for not being ‘strong enough.’ These types of thoughts and feelings only add to one’s stress level, which the spiral down continues.

 

Physical Symptoms that accompany job stress…

Work stress also affects your body. The feeling of “never being able to do enough” may drive you to work extensively long hours in an effort to catch up.

Physical exhaustion may take the form of headaches, physical shaking from head to foot, inability to think clearly and being unable to relax. Pain can show up in other parts of your body, such as you neck, eyes, hips – we each hold stress in differently. You might find your hair falling out and you are more susceptible to colds and illness due to your immune system being compromised.

Physical exhaustion also causes you to lose your natural communication ability, so communication between your spouse and children, your boss or co-workers may sometimes become explosive; you might have the opposite effect with withdrawal behaviors – not speaking up, being overly agreeable despite not wanting to.

There is also the possibility of experiencing gastrointestinal problems; you may find comfort in food or alcohol as a way to cope, or you may feel an aversion to food due to a ‘nervous’ stomach.

 

Is there a solution?

Yes there is. You need to gather information and make a lifestyle change. Making the determination to deal with stress is the first step. Understanding the concept of stress, such as through the American Institute of Stress (http://www.Stress.org) will help as awareness is the key.

Another step is to be more aware of the symptoms you are experiencing, i.e. know your body. Begin to notice when you have aches and pains, when your routine veers from its normal, when you detach or become aggressive in your behaviors towards others – this is when you, then, are able to stop the feelings and learn to use good coping skills that will lesson stress and its effects.

Stress can be managed but, if you’ve been under its effects for a while, it can take time to begin to feel more relaxed and able to handle your job. Write down you stressors to see how you can go about managing them so you can enjoy your work again.

 

 

If you are having difficulty with workplace stress, reach out to get help as we have programs that can help you and your team survive and thrive so their performance, productivity, and satisfaction are at their highest. Help is available – just reach out.

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