Anxiety And Nervous States

Who has not been nervous before an exam, a declaration of love or during a presentation? This unpleasant state of agitation, which to a certain extent is normal, can acquire truly alarming dimensions, which even prevent the person from developing normally. This is anxiety …

In these cases, anxiety becomes a powerful barrier to advance in life, generating unnecessary suffering for others. .. but why do we feel anxious and what can we do about it?

Ultimately, fear refers to the anticipation of a consequence that is threatening and exists. In contrast, anxiety refers to the anticipation of a diffuse threatening consequence, which does not really exist.

Therefore, that fear; It is that apprehensive and anxious expectation that often makes us lose control. For this you just have to be aware of this, and be pragmatic. Now we will see.

Fear, anxiety and other “pearls”

Anxiety is a fairly complex response, as it involves thoughts, emotions, as well as physiological and behavioral reactions. This “avalanche” is activated when certain events or circumstances are perceived as threatening our physical or psychological integrity. However, it must be clarified that it is not the same as fear.

Fear is the basic and automatic evaluation of danger, while anxiety is a more enduring state of threat that involves thinking to a greater extent than fear.

There are some particular characteristics of these anxious states that will allow us to know them in depth so as not to scare us when they appear and to solve them in the most correct way. Here we leave them:

• They are based on false assumptions or inadequate reasoning about the threat or potential harm.
• They interfere with the person’s ability to cope with difficult or aversive circumstances.
• They are present for a long time.
• Many of the symptoms are physiological (sweating, rapid heartbeat, redness or paleness, etc.).

What makes these anxious states so devastating is the feeling of vulnerability. This terrible feeling makes us feel at the mercy of internal or external dangers over which we have no control, or that it is insufficient to feel safe.

In anxiety, this magnified sense of vulnerability is evident in the exaggerated anticipation of possible harm in the face of stimuli that are neutral or innocuous. At the same time, when we are anxious we ignore the safety signals present in the situations that we consider threatening. For example, during a public presentation, we will ignore all the previous preparation that we had, or the positive results that we obtained in other presentations.

What do I do with those nerves?

We have already seen what anxiety is and how it occurs, so let’s explore some concrete measures to keep it at bay:

• Ask yourself what would be the worst thing that could happen to you in that situation, and what would you say to yourself to ease anxiety and to make sure everything is going to be okay. This will allow you to reevaluate the perception of threat and vulnerability towards the situation that generates anxiety.
• Recognize positive results that you have obtained in the past when facing these types of situations to strengthen your perception of self-efficacy and thus feel less vulnerable.
• Meditation, relaxation and breathing techniques automatically lift you out of that unpleasant mental, emotional, and physiological state associated with anxiety. Feel free to turn to these valuable resources.
• If even applying these measures the anxiety persists and, above all, if it interferes with your normal development, it is best to turn to a specialist.

But you know something? After all, anxiety isn’t that bad. In a low proportion, it can help activate us and prepare us to face a challenge, and can even protect us from danger by avoiding it. But when we know that it is preventing us from moving forward, because our mind is out of control, then it is time to tame those nerves with concrete and effective weapons.