Just stepping away from something stressful for a few minutes or taking time away from your normal routines and thoughts can give you enough space and distance to feel calmer. Read a book or a magazine, even if it's only for a few minutes. Run yourself a bath, watch a film, play with a pet or try out a new recipe.
Practicing mindfulness regularly can ultimately lead you to total inner calm. It can take some practice, so don't worry if you find it difficult to start with. Try mindfully doing your everyday tasks first, like brushing your teeth or making a coffee.
Try this: Place a hand on your heart and feel its rhythm. Breathe in deep for 4 seconds, then take a long, slow breath out. Repeat this pattern until you can feel your heartbeat slow down. Your thoughts should soon ease up as well.
Your emotional brain is overactive.
When the brain's emotional centers and fear centers are overactive, it can be associated with depression and anxiety. If you have this common brain pattern, you may stay busy as a way to distract yourself from your anxious thoughts and feelings of hopelessness.
More often than not, it's a sign of stress. Your mind is on high alert, afraid to fall asleep in case you might forget something important. Something you're worried you 'should' be doing. However, sometimes it might be because you have some exciting plans or ideas you want to explore and execute.
Relaxing the mind
Soak in a warm bath. Listen to soothing music. Practice mindful meditation. The goal of mindful meditation is to focus your attention on things that are happening right now in the present moment.
Practice yoga, meditate, get a massage, write in your journal, give yourself a pedicure or take a relaxing nap.
A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are. Other mental health disorders.
Are you always waiting for disaster to strike or excessively worried about things such as health, money, family, work, or school? If so, you may have a type of anxiety disorder called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD can make daily life feel like a constant state of worry, fear, and dread.
If you can't sleep and are thinking too much, it could actually be in your genes. That's right, some people have a genetic predisposition to insomnia that comes from several genes involved in intracellular metabolism and signal transmission.
In addition, medications originally designed for depression, the SSRIs (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Effexor, Cymbalta, and others), are also capable of lowering the underlying level of anxiety which takes a lot of steam out of this phenomenon.
An anxiety emergency or extreme panic attack may require an ER visit if the sufferer is unable to get it under control. Extreme cases of hyperventilation can lead to tachycardia, an occurrence where the heart is beating so fast that it is unable to properly pump blood throughout the body.
Why does it affect the head? Anxiety has also been linked to chemical imbalances in the brain and body. Scientists have found connections between anxiety and some strange physical, cognitive, and emotional sensations that seem to mainly affect the head.
People with anxiety disorders often feel that their concerns are not taken seriously or that "it's all in their heads." This minimizes their pain and discomfort, and leaves psychiatric and associated medical conditions unaddressed. It should be noted that the statement "it's all in your head" is not entirely wrong.
But researchers don't know exactly what causes anxiety disorders. They suspect a combination of factors plays a role: Chemical imbalance: Severe or long-lasting stress can change the chemical balance that controls your mood. Experiencing a lot of stress over a long period can lead to an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety becomes more common with older age and is most common among middle-aged adults. This may be due to a number of factors, including changes in the brain and nervous system as we age, and being more likely to experience stressful life events that can trigger anxiety.