THOSE who experience anxiety will know all to well that’s there is more to it than rushing thoughts.
The physical symptoms can be just as cruel and debilitating.
Kamran Bed, a qualified mental health practitioner, tells The Sun how to deal with physical symptoms of anxiety and why must never ignore them.
When a situation causes you to feel anxious, quite often the body can go into ‘freeze mode’.
“When this happens, the shoulders may raise, facial muscles and jaws can tighten and you many at times feel rigid and stuck,” the expert explains.
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“Some people can suddenly feel tight and tense, their legs can feel like heavy anchors, and it can seem overwhelming to actually move their body,” he adds.
It’s not healthy for the body to remain in this physical state for long.
“It can be very exhausting and limit you from general day-to-day activity where the anxiety causes you to feel exhausted and fatigued,” he explains.
To deal with ‘freeze mode’ Kamran suggested a slow calm walk, yoga or stretching to help relax the body.
Anxiety can cause a person to feel as though the room is spinning or even closing in on them.
“This can increase the sense or anxiety and even panic, and if it’s not dealt with, it could potentially trigger at random unexpected times,” Kamran warns.
“Physical anchoring’ by mentally focussing on the feet and the connection to the floor can help a person feel more grounded,” Kamran says.
He says that by focussing on the feeling of the feet and “the connection to the ground” you can help bring the focus back to the body and not into the “daze and confusion that spins around outside of you”.
He adds: “Then continuing with a mental body scan noticing the feeling of the feet, then the legs, then the hands, working your way up the body holding your focus on each part for 10 seconds.”
Some people find it difficult to breath when anxious – their breathe can become shorth and rapid.
“This shouldn’t be ignored as it isn’t good for the body as you could end up hyperventilating which could lead to a panic attack,” Kamran explains.
The key to improving how you feel quickly is to “actively breathe”, the expert says.
This involves taking slow, long deep inhales through the nose and exhaling slowing through the mouth as if you’re blowing out a candle.
“Active and conscious breathing can help calm the sympathetic nervous system which may have switched into fight or flight mode when anxious.
“With 10-15 slow breaths, you can reduce your anxiety quite quickly.” he says..
Sweating uncontrollably is a normal reaction to anxiety or stress.
Whether that be sweaty palms, armpits or a forehead, its all embarrassing.
“Sweats shouldn’t be ignored as they are a clear sign that the body is shifting into fight or flight mode,” the expert says.
“The key is to remain calm, especially with your thoughts.
“Actively using your inner voice to offer yourself reassurance can help reduce the anxiety and body sweats as can meditation or mindfulness,” he explains.
An anxious mind can make falling asleep a bit of a nightmare.
Kamran said if ignored, this difficulty in sleeping can easily become a habitual pattern.
“Over a long period of time, poor sleep from anxiety can cause a lack of concentration, fatigue, and even digestive issues,” he says.
“One of the keyways to help your mind quieten down when you go to sleep, is to imagine your mind completely ‘black’.
“Just as you would turn the power off on a phone or TV,” he says.
“This will help to reduce the mental activity of your thoughts to then help you relax and sleep with more ease,” he adds.
Whether you stomach feels like it’s in knots or your having to run to the toilet every ten minutes, many of us have experienced a bit of a funny-tummy from anxiety.
“This is the bodies was communicating the distress and discomfort within us,” he says.
“Over time this can cause fear and further anxiety where individuals have developed a pattern of staying close to home from the anxiety of possibly needing a bathroom in an emergency situation.”
He suggests mentally focussing on the feelings in the gut.
“Try to and using your mind like a remote control to ‘pause’ or stop’ the feelings.
“Even changing them to make them smaller can with practice help the mind more mindfully take control of the feelings in the gut,” Kamran explains.
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Kamran has written a book called The Anxiety Antidote which offers a wider explanation of anxiety and the physical symptoms.
It also discusses a variety of methods that readers can use to help their anxious thoughts and feelings.
