What anxiety is...

...and what it isn't.

Before we get into what anxiety is, I want you first to know what it’s not. 

• Anxiety is not black or white.

• It’s not due to a chemical imbalance in the brain, nor is it a mental illness. 

Anxiety is a nervous system energy (mobilized energy) designed to help you take action (fight-or-flight) in a dangerous situation. It’s nothing more than a sympathetic response to a potential danger.

It’s also a cool word to describe the physical sensations that pop up when you shift into a sympathetic state.

Anxiety is why you’re here today.

It’s a survival response hardwired into your body to help keep you alive. It’s what helped keep your ancestors alive. If your ancestors didn’t experience anxiety, there’s a strong chance they would’ve been eaten by a sabertooth tiger or something crazy like that. 

The mystery of anxiety, and why I feel everyone has a different definition and reason for it, is because many different stressors can ignite it (mental, internal, and external stressors).

Rather than thinking of anxiety as this terrible thing, I want you to view your anxiety as energy. You can still call it anxiety, just know that the sensations of anxiety are due to energy in your body. 

So let’s talk about how anxiety can show up. It can show up as… 

• Increased heart rate/pounding heart 

• Faster breathing

• Nausea

• Sweating/Sweaty palms 

• Increased blood pressure

• Muscle tension/Clenched jaw  

• Difficulties focusing

• Shaking 

• Tightness in the chest or belly 

• Upset stomach 

• Urge to run

• A desire to withdraw

• Dry mouth 

• IBS

• Dizziness

• Restlessness

• Feeling overwhelmed 

• Feeling impatient, agitated, irritated, or ragey

• Panic 

• A sense of dread

These are all signs your nervous system has shifted into a sympathetic state of fight-or-flight (aka anxiety).

It’s important to recognize these sensations because they are often misinterpreted as something being terribly wrong. However, these sensations are nothing more than a sign that your nervous system has shifted into that sympathetic state and has prepared your body for action. 

Remember, anxiety doesn’t have to be a problem, and you can 100% find freedom from your symptoms. With patience, persistence, and time, you can regulate your nervous system and rewire the circuitry in your brain. 

👇🏼 Tell me in the comments, how does anxiety show up for you?