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Anxiety

We all go through times in life when we feel worried about something. Sometimes a little stress and worry can be a good thing because it can motivate us to overcome life’s challenges. But too much can lead to us feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope.

What causes anxiety?

Sometimes there will be an obvious cause to the anxiety you are feeling. You might have an exam coming up or a job interview that is really worrying you. When the event has passed, the anxiety goes away. For some people it might be that a bad experience from the past is still causing them to feel anxious, or a big change that is going to happen in the future is the source of their worry. Some people might feel anxious for no apparent reason and everything seems worrying to them. Anxiety can affect you in lots of different ways…

 

How you feel

For example, some people describe feeling really fearful and worried, being more nervous, restless and edgy, being irritable, feeling angry and impatient.

How you think

You may find it really hard to make decisions, get confused more easily, or have difficulty concentrating. Sometimes people describe their mind as racing with too many thoughts.

How you behave

For instance, you might go out of your way to avoid the situations that are worrying you.

Physical effects on your body

Sometimes people find that their heart is racing or they have a ‘knot’ or ‘butterflies’ in their stomach. They might notice they are sweating more than usual, trembling or feeling short of breath. Other people find that they have difficulty sleeping too.

Feeling anxious at various times in our life is part of what it is to be human! But it’s important to find healthy ways of coping with these feelings.

Relaxation techniques

Here are some relaxation techniques from Claudia, our yoga instructor, that might help calm you down if you’re feeling anxious.

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