5 Effects of Anxiety On The Body And Mind
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension, tension, or unease that can be mild to severe. When you feel anxious, your body goes through a series of changes in order to help you deal with the situation causing your anxiety. These responses are often referred to as the fight-or-flight response and they can impact both mind and body:
1. Pounding heart and rapid pulse
When you experience anxiety, your heart rate speeds up. This is because the fight-or-flight response triggers a chain of events that causes blood to flow away from your organs and extremities and towards your heart, lungs, and muscles so they’re ready for action if needed. As well as speeding up, your heart rate may also feel irregular. You may even experience a fluttering feeling (called palpitations) as it pumps blood around your body at a higher rate, which can make you feel anxious.
2. Feeling lightheaded or faint
Feeling faint is common when you experience anxiety, particularly if you’re already feeling tense, either because of the situation that’s causing your anxiety or because of the effects of the fight-or-flight response.
One reason for this is that when you feel anxious, your muscles become tense and this causes them to shorten. It may also contribute to lightheadedness or dizziness during anxiety attacks because it reduces blood flow into your brain.
One way to stop yourself from feeling faint is by breathing in slowly through your nose, making sure not to breathe too deeply. Stop breathing for a couple of seconds, hold your breath and then breathe out slowly through your mouth.
3. Loss of concentration
Anxiety can be extremely distracting because it causes a number of changes in the body. Many people find they have difficulty concentrating when they’re anxious and even everyday activities, such as watching TV or reading a book, can become difficult.
Feeling tense can also make it harder for your brain to process information so it becomes difficult to concentrate on tasks that require some mental effort. That’s why people often find themselves becoming more clumsy or accident-prone when they’re anxious.
4. Sweating and tremors
Anxiety may cause you to sweat because the fight-or-flight response stimulates your muscles and makes them ready for action so they produce sweat more quickly than normal.
The increased perspiration is one reason why anxiety can lead to feelings of weakness or dizziness, especially when standing up.
Trembling or shaking is another common anxiety symptom. It occurs because the muscles in your arms and legs are constantly stimulated by the fight-or-flight response so they feel tense and start to shake more easily than normal.
5. Dry mouth
When you feel anxious, your body releases adrenaline and this causes your bladder to empty so less blood flows into it. This means that the saliva glands receive less blood and produce less saliva.
Some people find that their mouth becomes really dry when they’re anxious while others notice a bitter taste in their mouth. If you become dehydrated because of all the fluid you’re losing through sweating, your mouth may feel particularly dry.
Conclusion
The body sensations you experience when you’re anxious can often feel overwhelming but there are things that you can try to reduce the physical effects of anxiety. Learning how to manage the symptoms of an anxiety attack and learning relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation, can help you feel less anxious throughout the day. If your anxiety isn’t relieved by these methods or if it’s disabling, you may find it helpful to ask your doctor for medications, supplements like CBD oil, or even for a referral to a mental health professional who specializes in managing anxiety.
