Anxiety

Everyone has felt anxiety at some point in their lives. But there are times when the anxiety gets overwhelming and we do not know how to deal with it or make it stop.

Check the following symptoms of anxiety and see if anxiety is controlling your life.

You worry very much about everyday things for at least six months, even if there is little or no reason to worry about them
You can't control the constant worries
You know that you worry much more than you should
You can't relax
You have a hard time concentrating
You are easily startled
You have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

Some physical effects of anxiety are:

feeling tired for no reason
headaches
muscle tension and aches
having a hard time swallowing
trembling or twitching
being irritable
sweating
nausea
feeling lightheaded
feeling out of breath
having to go to the bathroom a lot
hot flashes

Some practical suggestions to help with anxiety:

Be flexible, know what you can change and what you cant
Use relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises
Learn to say "no". Its hard to say "no" sometimes to others, but recognize you cant do everything
Get active
Have a healthy diet, avoiding things like caffeine
Talk to others
Know mistakes are going to happen, you cant be perfect
Handle things as they come, procrastinating can lead to more anxiety