How much anxiety is acceptable?

If I say the word melancholia to you, it may not mean much. But this was the historical term for anxiety and depression which were previously grouped together and thought of as one singular condition. Now we know that they can exist separately, or together. Either way, anxiety isn't fun.

Some people are so used to having anxiety that they don't know the symptoms because it's just normality for them, sadly. On the other end of the scale, some mistake any level of anxiety as having a mental health condition. Let's be real here - some anxiety is OK. It's an accepted, natural response to situations where we feel threatened or are nervous. The indicator of not being okay is when it impacts your life and wellbeing. Here I want to detail what anxiety looks like, and how you may be able to put a stop to it.

Let's start with the physical symptoms:

• Rapid heartbeat

• Sweating excessively

• Sleep issues

• Stomach pain/digestive issues

• Sore muscles or unexplained pain

And the psychological symptoms:

• Excessive worry or fear

• Obsessive thinking

• paranoia

• Feeling overly alert

So you may be checking some of the boxes above, and now wondering what causes anxiety. Unmanaged stress, certain personality types, childhood trauma, childhood isolation, and a big challenging event that takes place are some of the origins of anxiety disorders.

Getting to the bottom of where this comes from can be the first successful step in managing your anxiety. It's important to know where it started so the correct treatment can be applied and you can be aware of your triggers.

Other solutions may be cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and commitment therapy, and solution-focused therapy to name some of the psychotherapy techniques available. In the short term, there are mindfulness and grounding techniques that can help immediately when it's at it's peak.

If you are not ready, or able to seek support professionally with your anxiety, there is self-help options available online too. The good news is that anxiety is fairly common and therefore there is support is there when you are ready.