How to Recognize the Early Signs of Anxiety

You see others who exude an air of calm confidence and you find yourself wondering how you can also feel a sense of ease, peace, and relaxation. Instead you often having a nagging restlessness, are mentally fatigued by the background chatter of incessant worries running through your mind at all hours, and you can’t seem to shake the low vibrational buzzing that has become you’re body’s natural rhythm. 

You might be experiencing symptoms of anxiety, a disorder so common that it’s the leading mental health disorder of the 21st century. The symptoms can be so ordinary and subtle that you may not even recognize the signs, often leading to feelings of inadequacy, isolation, and loneliness. Recognizing the signs of your anxiety can be the first steps in your healing.

So What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a general feeling of fear, persistent worry, dread, and/or unease. Anxious feelings are a natural response to stress and something everyone experiences periodically. When anxious feelings become persistent and disrupt daily life, an anxiety disorder can develop. There are many types of anxiety disorders that encompass the feelings of anxiety, including:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), associated with a general feeling of fear or worry about any number of things that persists more often than it doesn’t.

• Panic Disorder, associated with a fear of experiencing more extreme anxious symptoms that can feel so intense one might feel as if they are dying. These symptoms occur in short bursts, but can feel as though they last for much longer periods of time.

• Social Anxiety Disorder, associated with a fear of being negatively judged and criticized by others, often resulting in avoidance of social situations.

• Phobias, associated with an intense fear of a specific object, place, or situation. The fear is disproportionate for the situation.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), associated with intrusive, obsessive, and unwanted thoughts and/or repetitive behaviors that are instigated by an innate fear or worry associated with a specific theme.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), associated with the re-experiencing of fear and other anxiety symptoms after a particularly traumatic event.

Each of these anxiety disorders involves fears and worries, in addition to many other mental, physical, and emotional symptoms. If left untreated, these disorders and symptoms can disrupt a person’s ability to complete tasks of daily living, impact the quality of relationships, impair work performance, distort overall thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and result in the development of additional mental health disorders (e.g., substance use, depression, etc.).

Why Early Detection Matters

Anxiety is like Pandora’s Box, symptoms can first present as a mild inconvenience but can be tolerable enough to ignore. However, if left unaddressed for too long, symptoms can gradually become more intense, last longer and longer, and occur more often over time. By attending to symptoms immediately, you can prevent more intense suffering, see more immediate reduction in anxiety and other mental health concerns, and improve the overall quality of your life.

Steps to Early Detection

In order to begin healing from the fears and worries that are consuming you, consider the following steps:

1. Self-Awareness. Being open and attuned to your thoughts, feelings, and physiological state will enable you to identify what anxiety symptoms you are experiencing and how to properly address them. Below are some prompts to help you increase your awareness:

• What are some of your more common thoughts, specifically your internal dialogue, core beliefs, and the values that guide you?

• What emotions do you experience from moment to moment? 

• Describe the multitude of physical reactions occurring within your body as a result of various experiences?

2. Symptom Tracking & Identification. Diligently monitoring and noting symptoms and their occurrence can reveal important patterns that will assist in the management of anxiety and prevention of future symptoms. Below are some signs to look for as you begin tracking:

• Physical Signs of Anxiety (e.g., increased heart rate, sweating, shortness of breath, tension and restlessness, shaking/trembling, sleep disturbance, etc.)

• Emotional and Psychological Signs (e.g., excessive worrying, irritability, feelings of dread, trouble concentrating, etc.)

• Behavioral Signs (e.g., avoidance, repetitive behaviors, procrastination, social withdrawal, fidgeting, skin picking/nail biting, etc.)

• Cognitive Signs (e.g., negative thinking patterns, indecisiveness, forgetfulness, etc.)

3. Analyze and Evaluate. Set aside time to investigate what your data might be telling you.

• What is the common theme or activating event that connects your symptoms? (e.g., anxiety seems to occur at social events and thoughts are focused on fears of being judged)

• How is the anxiety helping, protecting, or benefiting you? 

• Imagine the anxiety is a warning sign from your body. What is your body trying to communicate to your mind? What needs to be different in your life (or added to your life) to reduce your unease and feel safe?

4. Take Action. Once you have learned what activates your anxiety, how your mind and body respond to feeling anxious, how anxiety helps you, and what you need to be different, you can take action in a way that benefits you. Below are some strategies to consider in the early management of your anxiety symptoms:

• Breath work and mindfulness (e.g., 4x4 breathing, guided meditation, etc.)

• Physical activity

• Healthy lifestyle choices (e.g., sleep routine, nutrition, avoiding stimulants, etc.)

• Journaling

When to Seek Professional Help

By recognizing the signs of anxiety early and taking action sooner rather than later, it is possible for you to achieve a calm, peaceful ease. However, if your symptoms are becoming increasingly intense, growing unbearable, or are present more often than they are not then you may benefit from additional support. If your symptoms are disrupting your ability to function throughout the day, interfering with completion of normal tasks of daily living, affecting your relationships, or impacting your work performance then the resources below may be helpful.

Resources Available

Consider initiating services with a mental health professional. A therapist (LMFT, LMSW, LPCC, PsyD, PhD) can provide guidance and support as you learn to navigate and manage your symptoms of anxiety. A psychiatrist can provide an evaluation and discuss your options for psychotropic medication support.

Although you can benefit from any and all therapy modalities, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is the leading treatment option for anxiety disorders. 

Consider researching local support groups in your area that treat anxiety and/or offer coping strategies to assist with aspects of anxiety. The shared group experience normalizes and validates, thereby reducing isolation and loneliness otherwise experienced in the group.

Apps can assist with your symptom tracking and coping strategies (e.g., Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, mood trackers, goal/task trackers, etc.).

Recognizing the early signs of anxiety can be a powerful step toward understanding and managing your mental health. By observing, monitoring, and tracking your mind and body cues, you can take proactive measures to prevent anxiety from consuming your life. Whether through independent means or with professional support, there are many paths to finding relief. Take the first step today and give yourself the care and compassion you deserve.

If you’re looking for more guided support from a qualified professional, contact us here to schedule an intake screening and become an established client.