Where’s Anxiety in my body?

Anxiety isn’t ‘only in your head’. It’s very much within the body. The feelings of worry, nervousness, and fear about things are what we may commonly link with anxiety. They are also feelings that can make daily life challenging. Anxiety also comes with physical symptoms.

During periods of anxiety you may notice physical symptoms like sweating, trembling, rapid heartbeat, or even nausea. You may inherently know that these are coming as a result of anxiety.

The physical symptoms of anxiety are:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea or vomiting
• Headache
• Difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid heart rate
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Muscle tension and muscle pain

In times of panic, you may notice:

• Having trouble breathing
• Numb or tingling feelings in the body
• Chest pain
• Lightheadedness, dizziness
• Feeling overheated or chilled

Anxiety is the body’s response to perceived stress or perceived danger. It’s the body’s way of alerting you to potential threats and preparing you to handle them. This is the fight, flight, faint, or freeze response.

When your body perceives danger, your breathing rate increases because the lungs need to move more oxygen through the body to escape danger. This can make you feel as though you’re not able to breathe and can increase the feelings of panic or fear.

The muscles tense to get your body ready to run from danger, which can result in tension headaches and muscle pain. The hormones released during the stress response increase the heart rate and breathing, to help you address a threat in your environment.

These responses by the body to fend off danger can have long term health impacts like high blood pressure, and they also create the physical sensations that come with anxiety.

The body’s adrenal system is what kick starts the fight or flight response, and if it is activated repeatedly without returning to its baseline, overtime it can contribute to various health problems including heart trouble, migraine, vision issues, worsening asthma, and more.

Addressing anxiety is key to maintaining health and coping with the physical impacts of it. When anxiety interferes with areas of your life like work, school, or relationships on a daily basis, it’s time to talk with your doctor or mental healthcare provider for a full evaluation.

Some basics to help manage anxiety include:

• Exercise if you’re able
• Avoiding stimulants like caffeine and nicotine
• Trying relaxation techniques like meditation
• Getting enough sleep each night

Untreated anxiety can have long term impacts on various areas of health, and treating it early is key to healing and prevention of long term effects.