The Importance of Recognizing Signs of Anxiety

Recognizing the signs of anxiety in your life is an important step toward managing anxiousness. What you can notice, you can work toward changing. What you can notice, you can prevent. Awareness of your symptoms is key to creating new habits to manage anxiety. Let’s take a look at the most common anxiety symptoms:

Physicals Signs of Anxiety

Sometimes the most difficult symptoms to manage in anxiety treatment are physical symptoms. We are often not taught how to manage physical sensations in our bodies. The physical signs of anxiety prompt people to engage in therapy because they are challenging to work through alone.

Common Physical Signs of Anxiety

Rapid heartbeat
Feeling of dread or apprehension
Nausea or feeling queasy
Stomachache
Tension or tightness in the body
Increase flushing or feeling hot

The Feelings Involved in Anxiety

While anxiety is the feeling that we notice most, there are other emotions that we are feeling under the surface. Anxiety is typically a secondary emotion; another emotion sparks it. Here are some examples of common feelings that present as anxiety.

Common Feelings that Present as Anxiety

Fear
Insecurity
Sadness
Shame
Guilt
Hurt

Common Thoughts that Create Anxiety

There has been a lot of research on the roles of thoughts in anxiety management. Thoughts make up a big part of our daily awareness and routine. Some people may not be aware of their thoughts throughout the day. That’s okay; it’s normal for people to have different thought awareness levels. People experience their thoughts and feelings differently. Our thought patterns play a huge role in anxiety and increasing emotional response to situations. People with anxiety may notice difficulty controlling or stopping thoughts. Here are some common examples of thoughts that cause anxiety:

What if thoughts about the future
Self-critical thoughts that lack self-compassion
Thoughts that try to predict what others are thinking or feeling

How Treatment Can Help

Anxiety treatment is a valuable resource that supports you in recognizing and managing anxious thoughts. There are various evidence-based treatments that help manage anxiety and gain skills to help you feel calm again.