Fear is an extremely powerful emotion that is ultimately meant to keep you safe. This feeling creates strong signals of response when you are faced with an emergency. However, when you are experiencing this intense emotion when you are not in actual danger, it can become a hindrance to your daily life. This feeling of excessive fear is called anxiety, and it is not the same for every person. There are plenty of ways to help, but understanding what this complex emotion is and where it is coming from is an important step when learning to manage it. 

Anxiety can vary depending upon the person, so it might look slightly different for everyone. The feeling may last for a short amount of time, or it can last for a long time. Some people might experience nausea, and others might get migraines. Some people might even experience changes in their sleep patterns or their appetite. There are many different physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety, and all of them might affect an individual’s daily life. 

Anxiety is a word used for some types of fear, usually about the thought of a threat or something going wrong in the future, rather than in the current moment. If you are scared of something, the feeling will dissipate once the threat is gone. If you have an anxiety disorder, these feelings of fear and danger can be ongoing and interrupt your daily routine long after the threat has gone, and cause you to perceive various situations as much worse than they actually are. This phenomenon is quite common, so if you are experiencing it, remember that you are not alone. 

If this feeling is affecting your daily life, it is absolutely worth seeking help from a mental health professional. Struggling is not ideal, but there is no shame in reaching out to your loved ones for additional support. It is crucial to understand that help is constantly available for you. Take the time to slow down and dissect the problem that is causing you to experience anxiety, and understand that the worst case scenario will most likely never happen. Practice grounding exercises and take deep breaths. Take everything one moment at a time, and keep going!