Anxiety

At some point in our lives we have all felt anxious and stressed. It is a natural reaction to times when we feel under pressure. Anxiety and stress is felt when we believe we are under threat but feel that we might not be able to cope with that threat.

Times when people may be anxious and stressed include:

  • Exams or deadlines
  • Relationship pressures
  • Pressure at work
  • Money or housing worries
  • Bereavement

It is important to remember that it is ok to feel anxious and there can be times when these feelings might even be helpful. Feeling some anxiety or stress before an exam can be helpful, we all need a little bit of anxiety to perform to our best ability. However there are times when feeling anxious and stressed isn’t helpful and it can start to affect your wellbeing.


How do I know when anxiety is affecting my wellbeing?

Anxiety can affect different people in different ways. Some people may only notice anxiety in their body but others may notice they are anxious by how they are feeling emotionally. It is common for people to mistake the physical feelings of anxiety as them being ill. Anxiety and stress become a problem when you have the symptoms more days than not, and they start to affect how you live your life.

If you notice that you are experiencing any of what is listed below, you may be suffering from anxiety.


Anxiety: What you might think

  • “I can’t cope”
  • “I’m not in control”
  • “I’m never going to sort this out”
  • “I think I’m going crazy with all this stress”
  • “Something bad is going to happen”
  • “I’m having a heart attack”
  • Unable to concentrate on things
  • Racing thoughts


Anxiety: What you might feel

  • Anxious and worried
  • Nervous, on edge
  • Worried that something bad is going to happen
  • Unable to control worrying
  • Worrying lots about different things
  • Irritable
  • Tearful
  • Overwhelmed


Anxiety: What you might feel in your body

  • Tired and lacking in energy
  • Unable to sleep
  • Tense, on edge
  • Restless unable to relax or concentrate on anything
  • Heart pounding really fast
  • Light-headed
  • Fast breathing
  • Upset or feeling ‘butterflies’ in stomach
  • Sweating
  • Legs feel like jelly


Anxiety: What you might do

  • Unable to sit still or relax
  • Snapping at people
  • Avoid places or situations that make you feel anxious and stressed
  • Drink or smoke more
  • Not do the things you used to enjoy
  • Going ‘full steam ahead’
  • Try to ignore the feelings of anxiety

Anxiety can be maintained in a number of ways. Most people find that they remain anxious because of how they are thinking about what is happening to them and allowing themselves to worry all the time. For example, worrying about things that haven’t happened yet or may not happen at all.

If you feel that you may be experiencing anxiety and stress, reading though our self-help guide or contacting your GP for further advice may be helpful.


If you think you might suffer from anxiety. Click here to rate your levels and get some advice on next steps.

If you would like some help in managing anxiety, please click here.

If you would like to refer yourself to our service, click here