Anxiety is considered a mental health condition, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t show itself through physical symptoms.
Anxiety is a condition that’s largely discussed in terms of mental health. While this is completely accurate, it often overshadows its physical symptoms, such as a racing heart, sweat, and stomach discomfort. Physical symptoms of anxiety are important to keep track of to help you shift your perspective and know what to treat when going down an anxiety spiral.
The term anxiety is very broad. It refers to fear, stress, and worry over certain situations. These episodes can be triggered by stress or can be a part of a larger condition that overwhelms people and requires therapy and medication to improve. But all types of anxiety produce physical symptoms. Here are 5 of the most common ones:
Racing heart
If you’re someone who experiences some sort of anxiety, a racing heart when sitting still is one of the biggest tells that some anxious thoughts are rushing in. Research shows that when stress pops up, your body begins to produce hormones like adrenaline. This would be great if you were fleeing a bear, but it’s pretty awful when this sensation strikes at an unwanted time.
Shortness of breath
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During the past couple of months it’s become a recurring theme to wonder whether you’re suffering from COVID-19 or are simply super stressed. Anxiety can manifest in shortness of breath due to the fact that, since your heart is racing, your body wants to provide you with more oxygen. Again, great intentions but terrible results.
Exhaustion
Since your body is producing so many hormones in order to keep you on high alert, you might feel like sleeping all the time. But when anxiety strikes, it’s also very common to spend sleepless nights, which is why anxiety is really hard to snap out of, acting as a loop of really bad stuff.
Weird stomach
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Anxiety does all sorts of things to your stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, nausea and more. Your brain and your stomach have a communication system that lets you know when you’re hungry or full. Anxiety throws all of that out the window.
Prone to catching colds
Since your body is operating on fight or flight, your immune system is more likely to be weakened, thus, providing plenty of openings for colds and other diseases. It’s important to take care of your body and nourish it, even when going through some anxiety.
