The physical symptoms you experience when you’re feeling anxious can be frightening in themselves, but remember that they have an evolutionary ("fight or flight") and a biological explanation. Physical changes are automatic responses to the fact that your body perceives a threat. Your body is working hard to keep you alert and save you from that threat…BUT are you really under threat? Probably not. In counselling, you can explore the roots of your anxiety, but understanding your symptoms and learning to manage them will help you feel better in the meantime.

If you feel anxious much of the time, your body is likely to be in a state of over-reacting to stress. People often describe a feeling of dread, apprehension or a non-specific impending doom. Headaches, sleep problems and irritability are also common.

Understanding and identifying the physiological processes going on in your body can help you process and reduce your anxiety. Name what you are feeling and remind yourself why. For example:

Faster heartbeat: The hormone adrenaline is increasing your heart rate to get blood pumping so as to get more oxygen into your muscles and maintain blood pressure.

Hyperventilating: An increase in respiration can cause you to breathe from your chest instead of your diaphragm, leading to tightness or a feeling that you can’t breathe properly. You are taking in more oxygen in order to “fight or flight”.

Feeling hot/sweating: Adrenaline is directing blood to major muscles including your heart and lungs, which can make your skin feel hot. Adrenaline will also stimulate your sweat glands, causing you to sweat.

Nausea/vomiting/digestive disturbance: Your brain and your gut share many of the same nerve connections. Nerve endings in your stomach respond to stress hormones released by the brain.

Trembling/shaking: Adrenaline binds to receptors on your liver cells to break down larger sugar molecules (glycogen) into smaller molecules (glucose). This gives your muscles a boost of energy, which can cause shaking.

Feeling numb/tingling: Hyperventilating causes blood calcium levels to drop, leading to tingling or twitching.

Feeling lightheaded/dizzy: If carbon dioxide decreases because of hyperventilating, blood flow to your brain is reduced, leading to a sense of feeling weak or dizzy, or a feeling of being outside of yourself.

Please read my blog “Managing anxiety symptoms” for practical advice on how to deal with these symptoms. Always seek medical advice if your symptoms feel severe or unmanageable, or if you have been feeling anxious for some time.