Common symptoms of anxiety include racing heartbeat and butterflies in your stomach. However, anxiety can present itself in numerous ways.
- Constant worries/dread. You feel anxious nearly all the time, although you may not know why. To help reduce anxiety and stress, aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most days.
- Impaired thinking. You have difficulty forming thoughts, concentrating or learning new things.
- Fatigue. Heightened stress hormones can leave you exhausted. Adequate nutrition, hydration and sleep can boost energy.
- Irritability/anger. Coping with anxiety can be overwhelming, so you may overreact to situations.
- Fear/Terror. You may have irrational fears or an impending sense of doom or danger.
- Panic Attacks. These spikes of terror can feel like a heart attack. A few deep breaths can calm you.
- Controlling behavior. You try to control situations and people to keep anxiety at bay.
- Stomach/digestive upsets. These may include nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, gas and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
- Sleep issues. Insomnia, night–mares and night terrors can occur.
- Phobia. An exaggerated fear of an object or situation, such as heights, flying or spiders.
If your anxiety interferes with normal life functions, it’s important to seek professional help.