What is anxiety?

It’s normal to feel anxious sometimes. It’s how we respond to feeling threatened, under pressure or stressed. Anxiety isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can spur us on, help us stay alert, make us aware of risks and motivate us to solve problems. However, anxiety can be a problem if it affects your ability to live your life. If your anxiety is ongoing, intense, hard to control or out of proportion to your situation then please talk to your GP to explore your options for treatment or support to help manage your symptoms.

Anxiety can cause many different symptoms. It might affect how you feel physically, mentally and how you behave, click here to find out more. Some people with anxiety may appear to be fine on the outside while still having some of the invisible symptoms. You may have developed ways of hiding your anxiety so that other people don’t notice it. In the UK, a little over 1 in 10 of us are living with an anxiety-related health condition at any one time – that’s over 8 million people, click here to find out more about the different types of anxiety conditions.

What causes anxiety?

Many different factors can cause anxiety. These include genetics, painful long-term health conditions, traumatic events, or drug or alcohol misuse. Your current life situation can also trigger anxiety – for example, money or housing problems, unemployment, work stress, loneliness, or difficult family or personal relationships. With the pressures of the increasing cost of living, more than a third of adults feel anxious about their financial situation. It’s important that we recognise and respond when we feel anxious so that our anxiety doesn’t become overwhelming.

How to reduce feelings of anxiety

The more often and the longer we feel anxious, the more it can become a problem. Dealing with anxiety can be hard, but there are some things we can do to manage these tough feelings. The Mental Health Foundation has produced a Top Tips for Coping with Anxiety Guide and below are a few other suggestions to consider:

1. Talk to someone you trust - Talking to someone you trust about what's making you anxious could be a relief.
2. Try to manage your worries - Anxiety can make it really hard to stop worrying. You might have worries you can't control, by setting aside specific time so you haven’t forgotten time or write down your worries.
3. Look after your physical health – try to get enough sleep, think about your diet, and try and do some physical activity, a little can go a long way.
4. Try breathing exercises - Breathing exercises can help you cope and feel more in control. The NHS also has some tips on breathing exercises for stress.
5. Keep a diary – it may be helpful to keep a note of when you feel anxious but also what’s going well. It's important to be kind to yourself and notice the good things too.
6. Practice self-care - Studies show that people who engage in self-care report lower levels of stress and anxiety and improved quality of life. Using scents to boost your mood is called aromatherapy. Several studies suggest that aromatherapy can decrease anxiety and improve sleep. Some calming scents are: lavender, rose, and sandalwood.
7. Reduce your caffeine intake - Consuming too much may worsen and increase feelings of anxiety. If you notice that caffeine makes you jittery or anxious, try cutting back by replacing coffee or energy drinks with decaffeinated herbal tea or water.
8. Create boundaries and learn to say no - It’s important to create healthy boundaries in your life by saying ‘no’ to help control your stressors. Taking control of your personal life may help reduce stress and protect your mental health.
9. Laugh out loud – laughter is really the best medicine – laughing can help reduce cortisol levels which is a hormone responsible for stress.
10. Listen to music – listening to your favourite song can help lower blood pressure and heart rate as well as anxiety.

If the anxiety is impacting your life then speak to your GP or healthcare professional about support available in your area or contact a helpline service. You could also refer yourself for talking therapy if that feels easier.

Don’t suffer in silence, reach out for support. By talking about anxiety, we can break down taboos and change attitudes

Further resources and support

• Anxiety UK is a national charity that supports individuals requiring assistance with anxiety, stress and anxiety-based depression.
• Anxiety and Panic Attacks – how can I help myself? (Mind)
• Box breathing relaxation technique: how to calm feelings of stress or anxiety (YouTube)
• Get help with anxiety, fear or panic - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• Guided Meditation for Anxiety (The Hourglass - YouTube)
• Household items that can help soothe anxiety
• How can I calm my racing heart? (Happiful)
• How to cope with anxiety (TED talk by Olivia Remes)
• How to Overcome Fear and Anxiety Guide – Mental Health Foundation
• How to Reduce Anxiety (Headspace)
• Listen to the rain on the forest path, relax, reduce anxiety, and sleep deeply (YouTube)
• Self-care for anxiety (Mind)
• Supporting an anxious child (for parents and carers of children aged 5 to 11)
• Supporting an anxious teen (for parents and carers of teenagers ages 12 to 18)
• Top Tips to Cope with Feelings of Anxiety (Mental Health Foundation)