At certain times, we all feel anxious in response to situations that seem threatening or demand change. It is common because this is how our brain reacts. Anxiety is the typical response of our brain when anything away from the routine occurs. 

A certain level of anxiety in certain situations helps boost performance in certain activities. According to psychology, anxiety is the first reaction that our body and mind perform during a stressful situation. And this stress leads to accentuating your performance. 

Thus, a little anxiety harm no one. It is how your body prepares you for change. 

• Chronic anxiety can lead to a decrease in brain volume over time.
• People with anxiety disorders are more likely to develop heart disease.
• Anxiety can be contagious; being around anxious people can trigger anxiety in others.
• The body can experience heightened pain sensitivity due to prolonged anxiety.
• Anxiety can lead to a weakened immune system, making you more susceptible to illness.
• Women are more likely to experience anxiety disorders than men.
• Anxiety can manifest as physical symptoms without any underlying medical condition.

But it is only good sometimes. 

With that being said, little anxiety is 100 percent natural. But for some, anxiousness consumes all their energy and halts their ability to react and work. Not addressing this situation on time can harm a person’s life in multiple ways. 

Fortunately, this is not the end. With the right hand of help, fighting and confronting the underlying issues is easy by listening to your mind. Here are the seven ways anxiety affects your life.

When was the last time an intrusive thought came to your mind out of nowhere? It was a few seconds ago if you are like most people. Right?

 It is normal.

This is because we get wound up in countless overwhelming thoughts, which is natural unless you have superb control over your mind. But when you let these thoughts consume you, there comes the issue.

 Overthinking alerts the same parts of the brain that fear and anxiety do. Psychologists say people with anxiety are more vulnerable to overthinking and intrusive states of mind. 

Not fully accepting and owning yourself could be the root cause of your anxiety. You are very well aware that you shouldn’t feel this way about yourself, yet despite knowing the fact, you cannot help but feel this way. And this vicious, endless cycle is eating you up from the inside. 

You could feel chest tightening, heavy or short breathing, nausea, panic attacks, or dizziness. You could feel the numbness in your body and brain; no matter how hard you try, you feel helpless. 

This mental condition is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). And one result of GAD is low self-esteem and extreme fear of rejection. 

1. Trusting and talking with yourself is the key to unlocking confidence. 
2. Building strong communication with yourself reveals so much to you about yourself. Once you know the questions, only then can you find the answers. 
3. Use verbal affirmation meditation to remind yourself of your strengths. 
4. Also, work on your communication with others. Good communication is a sign of reasonable confidence. 
5. If the fear of judgment or rejection stops you from doing that, it is probably only in your head. Ditch your comfort zone and start putting effort into conversations. And last, sharing your thoughts and expressing yourself freely in front of your loved ones is essential to enjoy life to the fullest.
6. And remember to pat on your back to congratulate yourself for becoming the best version of yourself. 

It is the case with almost all humans to get anxious (a little) when we have to step out of our comfort zone or deal with arguably unexpected situations. 

The situation can be public speaking. It can be a vulnerable discussion with your friends or walking alone amidst a storm of people. The point is that some situations might trigger those closed chapters of our lives based on our trauma and phobias. 

Unexpectedly, getting in a situation can take you down a similar memory lane where you have suppressed the emotions for too long. And this would be a good enough trigger for your anxiety. 

The “Do too much too soon” strategy in corporate has strengthened the adverse bond of anxiety and stress. This bond has a far-reaching effect on your personal and professional life. Panic attacks are one of them. 

Everyone knows that the working environment is unrealistically competitive, and the performance pressure on the employees has also set new standards. The constant anxiety and stress of “being the best” in money have become a norm. And this pressure forces the individual to work beyond their limits, leading to burnout and, eventually, breakdown. 

With the pressure of proving yourself comes the threat of deadlines that give no space for breathing or warmups.

Competition is high to the point where people are willing to sacrifice their mental and physical health to pay their bills and live up to society’s expectations.

Unfortunately, in a capitalist society, this behavior has been accepted for a long time. Now, whoever doesn’t follow gets punished. And while following, things get out of hand. 

The continual cycle of pressure/anxiety, stress/deadliness starts affecting your performance and mental peace. Your health takes a toll on you, and you start losing control. 

We usually need to remember to notice how gradually eating disorders develop. Instead, we think it is a conscious choice of the individual to be in the race of “zero-figure.”. However, it can be a rudimentary cause. It must be addressed to avoid the detrimental implications because it leads to many others. 

Talking about the causes, eating disorders, like any other mental condition, can develop because of diverse social, personal, and biological reasons and dispositions. Mostly, people in the later years of their life are vulnerable to developing this.

And when the risk gets combined with physical factors such as anxiety and stress, you struggle to have a healthy relationship with food. 

Along with anxiety, unchecked mental health is one of the fundamental causes of people dealing with this problem. 

The society in which we are living has neglected the importance of mental health and blurred the definition of what is healthy. This is why mental disorders are often dismissed. Obsession with calories and eating is considered wholesome, which is often wrong. 

It would be surprising to know that an eating disorder has the highest mortality rate of any other health condition wired with your brain. 

Therefore, snapping it early is the key to the fastest recovery. 

Exercise helps to lessen anxiety. With that, you realize how important it is for your body to have an equally healthy mind. Because both come in one package, you can practice yoga and meditation. Breathing meditation requires nothing but closed eyes and two minutes. 

The day you learn to address your thoughts will be the day you will be able to process and control them. 

General aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, and cycling do wonders as well to alleviate the anxiety-backed triggers. Just incorporate healthy eating and exercise habits in your daily checklist to get a hold of your mental health and eating disorders. 

Anxiety and an irregular sleep schedule go hand in hand. If you’re dealing with insomnia, you are most prone to getting pressure during any unusual situation.  

Chronic anxiety and disturbed sleeping patterns can affect your mind, performance, and emotional health. 

The lower level of restorative slow-wave sleep is directly affected by sleep irregularity, leading to anxiety and other similar health issues. 

4 people out of 10 have claimed that anxiety and stress have affected mainly their sleep. No matter how tired and worked up you are, your mind doesn’t stop talking. And gradually, instead of becoming the realm of rest and calm, you see yourself indulging in deep thoughts and overthinking. 

Suppose you are dealing with anxiety or stress. It could be financial, personal, emotional, or physical; there is a higher probability that your sleep and eating routine will be the first one to get affected. 

Acceptance is the first stage of healing. Accepting and embracing your anxiety is crucial to overcome. Once you accept and share your situations with others, you realize that you are not alone and that many others are going through similar situations. 

Seeing more people like you, you will get the courage and proper mindset to deal with the effects of anxiety on your body and mind.