Last update: April 14, 2015
Who has never felt nervous before an exam, a declaration of love or an oral exposure? That unpleasant feeling of agitation, which is normal to feel, can acquire truly alarming dimensions, which can prevent a person from acting normally.
In these cases, anxiety turns into a barrier that does not allow life to flow normally, giving rise to unnecessary suffering. Why do we feel anxious and what can we do to resolve this situation?
Fear, anxiety and various advice
Anxiety is a fairly complex response as it encompasses physiological and behavioral thoughts, emotions, and reactions. Anxiety is triggered when some events or circumstances are perceived as a threat to our physical or psychological integrity. However, it must be made clear that anxiety does not mean fear.
Fear is the basic and automatic assessment of danger, while anxiety is an enduring state of threat that envelops thought in greater proportions than fear. The dark thoughts that accompany anxiety have to do with uncontrollability, uncertainty, vulnerability (and being helpless) and the inability to achieve desired results.
The specific characteristics of anxiety
• It is based on false assumptions or inadequate reasoning about the potential threat or harm.
• It interferes with the individual's ability to cope with adverse and difficult circumstances.
• Occurs for a prolonged time.
• Many of the symptoms are physiological (sweating, tachycardia, redness or paleness, etc.).
What makes anxiety so devastating is the feeling of vulnerability. This terrible sensation makes us perceive internal or external dangers in a deviant way, losing control or not having enough to feel safe.
When we have anxiety, the sense of vulnerability is evident because we exaggerate a possible damage or problem even in the face of stimuli that are neutral or harmless. At the same time, when we are anxious we ignore the safety signs present in situations we consider threatening. For example, during a public presentation, we ignore previous preparation or positive results obtained in previous presentations.
The intensity of an anxiety state, therefore, depends on the balance between the initial assessment of the threat and the subsequent assessment of safety and ability to manage the situation.
How to deal with nervousness?
We have already seen what anxiety is and how it occurs, now we will give you some little tips to keep it at bay:
• Ask yourself what is the worst that could happen in the situation that causes you anxiety and what you would say to yourself to relieve anxiety and make sure everything is okay. This will allow you to re-evaluate your perception of threat and vulnerability to the situation that causes you anxiety.
• Remember the positive results you have achieved in the past when you have faced similar situations to reinforce your perception of self-efficacy and thus feel less vulnerable.
• Meditation, relaxation and breathing techniques will remove you from that unpleasant mental, emotional and physiological state associated with anxiety. Do not doubt and resort to these exercises.
If after trying these tips the anxiety persists and above all interferes with the performance of your normal activities, we recommend that you consult a specialist.
However, you know what? After all, anxiety isn't that bad. In small doses it helps us to try harder and prepare us to face challenges, as well as protect us from danger, avoid it. When we realize that it prevents us from moving forward, because our mind loses control, then it is time to dominate the nerves with concrete and efficient weapons.
Image courtesy of Muchaël Korchia
