Stress Related Anxiety – How does it occur?
The Australian Psychological Association describes stress as overloading, wound-up, tensed and worried feelings when faced with a situation. On the other hand, anxiety is the anticipatory reaction to stress that is associated with nervousness, feelings of worry and apprehension.
So another way of saying this is that stress is the immediate effect you feel when faced with a situation that takes you to your various limits or out of your comfort zone. Anxiety is a mind that looks forwards in time and anticipates some sort of bad or catastrophic outcome, or generally anticipates a negative overall situation, and worries about that future event or generalized negative future.
Stress related anxiety is not bad at all. It can help you cope with everyday life situations such as worrying about finding a job or feeling nervous during a test or interview. In this case, stress related anxiety can motivate you to show your best and achieve better life opportunities. However, you should not let this type of stress continue without acting on it, as it will become an unhealthy situation in your life. Too much stress can lead to anxiety. Anxiety can in the long term then become depression. Think of uncontrolled stress as the root of anxiety and other types of mental conditions. So, tread lightly, do not be a victim of stress related anxiety! Our team can help you manage your stress and anxiety symptoms, if your suffering the effects please find out more about anxiety counselling and stress management techniques.
How can stress cause anxiety?
Stress is a normal biological and psychological reaction to the environment. It can be triggered by situations that make you feel worried and nervous. Anxiety is a reaction to stress. Some of the common stress and anxiety symptoms are stomach pain, muscle tension, rapid breathing, dizziness, sweating and diarrhoea. So, how can stress cause anxiety?
Stress can bring physical changes to our bodies such as sweating, fast heartbeat, and muscle tension. The body’s stress response system works well to fight off stress and to maintain the fight or flight response. Too much stress can overpower the body’s stress response system making it hard to return to its normal state and functioning. In this case, the stress level goes up and it can lead to anxiety and other types of mental conditions.
How to cope with stress and anxiety?
Stress and anxiety that seem to be out of proportion to the stressor may be a sign of an existing anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders reportedly affect 1 in 4 Australians at some point in their life and are the most common type of mental health conditions. Almost one-third of the corporate world is reportedly suffering from some sort of depression, anxiety and stress.
As a sufferer, you should be aware of the different ways to cope with stress related anxiety. Moreover, it is also important to realise that your stress and anxiety management plans should focus on these three aspects which are body, mind and action.
Body
Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Avoid excessive caffeine, alcohol and recreational drug intake. Limit night time digital exposure to smartphones, tablets and PC’s.
Get enough rest and exercise daily. Let this be your routine and be sure to include it in your stress and anxiety management plan.
Mind
There is a way to manage and control your stress and anxiety. Find out what triggers your stress or anxiety the most. Whatever it is… try to eliminate or reduce it somehow in your life. If your anxiety is generalized then focus on addressing the symptoms via challenging your thoughts and using some of the Cognitive Behavioural Techniques (CBT) that you can research on the internet.
Limit exposure to scary, violent or disturbing content online, especially in the evening.
Action
Learn to cope by yourself with a little help from friends and families. Take deep organic breaths, enroll for a yoga class or participate in outreach programs to give back to the community.
Seek professional help. Do not be afraid to reach out to people and institutions that can help you. Do not rely on medication as it will not solve the issue, but simply mask it.
Takeaway
There is clearly a connection between stress and anxiety. Stress-related anxiety is not bad at all in the short term and when related to a specific event.
However, it can become toxic if your stress level is uncontrolled and becomes prolonged, leading you to developing an anxiety disorder. Yet, there is still hope! A psychotherapist can help you achieve effective stress and anxiety management plan. A healthy lifestyle, relaxation techniques and other recreational activities can also help reduce stress and anxiety.
For best stress-related anxiety therapy in Perth, contact Energetics Institute. We specialise in unifying the body with the mind in our Psychotherapy practice.
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