Nicole Che
Registered Clinical Counsellor #20915
Preparing for a job interview, waiting for someone to text you back, late night
ruminations where every awkward thing you’ve ever said replays in your mind…we all worry sometimes. A certain amount of stress and anxiety can be completely normal, it’s human.
However, sometimes anxiety can become more than everyday worries. When anxious thoughts become constant, overwhelming, persistent and start affecting everything from sleep to relationships to confidence, they might be turning into something more. Or,
sometimes, anxiety also shows up in quieter ways: overthinking, avoiding, feeling on “edge” without fully knowing why.
Understanding what anxiety is and recognizing when everyday worry might be turning into something more can make a big difference. Let’s take a look at how to determine which is which, and when to seek help.
What IS Anxiety?
In the simplest terms, anxiety is the body’s alarm system. It creates a response to stress, uncertainty or overwhelming situations like a racing heart, muscle tension, worry,
nervousness, restlessness. Its purpose is to say, “Hey! Stay alert and pay attention, there could be something challenging coming your way!”
When Does Worry Become “Too Much”?
When your body’s alarm system starts alerting you all the time and ringing that
emergency bell for every situation, that can make it hard to relax and turn off your brain, you might be up ‘til early hours struggling to sleep, or find it hard to be present. In some cases, when the alarm sounds too loudly and constantly, you might even start avoiding situations entirely. Or, perhaps because the alarm rings for every situation, it’s hard to
actually make any decisions about what to do! Then, when every day becomes constant uncertainty, fear, worry, it can start to affect how we feel about ourselves and what we can do.
This can be where worry becomes “too much”. It’s stopped being protective, and starts getting in the way of you living your life and how you see yourself.
What Does “Too Much” Look Like?
Anxiety shows up in both physical and emotional/functional ways.
Physically, when anxiety becomes too much, it can show up in feelings in the body:
- Fatigue
- Panic
- Difficulty catching your breath
- Stomach aches
- Nausea
- Muscle tension
Emotionally and functionally/cognitively, it can be harder to spot:
- Irritation
- Dread
- Fear
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling horrible about yourself (low self-esteem/confidence)
When Is It Right to Seek Help?
You don’t have to wait until anxiety becomes unbearable to ask for help. When your worries or anxious thoughts are starting to affect your daily life, whether that’s in your sleep, relationships, work, school or overall well-being, it might be a sign that extra
support can help. When you’re constantly overthinking, having panic attacks, and avoiding situations, getting some skills and understanding about your anxiety can be helpful in living your life. Seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a step towards
recalibrating your body’s internal alarm system and taking care of yourself!
If reading this has your head nodding (and perhaps racing!), the team at Brentwood Counselling located in Burnaby, BC is here to support you with compassionate and professional care that can help turn “too much” back to manageable.