Anxiety is a normal, human feeling of fear or panic. When we face stressful situations, it can set off our brain’s in-built alarm bell system, which tells us something isn’t right and that we need to deal with it.
Our brain wants the difficult situation to go away, so it makes us feel more alert, stops us from thinking about other things, and even pumps more blood into our legs to help us run away. Most of us worry sometimes – about things like friendships or money – and feel anxious when we’re under stress, like at exam time and afterwards we usually calm down and feel better.
But when you’re not in a stressful situation, and you still feel worried or panicky, that’s when anxiety can become a problem.
WHAT IS ANXIETY
How Can We Cope With Anxiety?
Try using all five senses together.
Connect with what you can see, touch, hear, smell and taste, bring yourself closer to the present moment and reduce the intensity of your anxiety.
think of a safe and relaxing place or person in your mind.
It could be your bedroom, a grandparent’s house, a favourite place in nature or somewhere you've been on holiday. Sometimes holding a memento of a relaxing place, like a seashell or pebble, can help.
Breathe slowly and deeply
You can count slowly to five as you breathe in, and then five as you breathe out. If this is too much, try starting with shorter counts.
