What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal natural emotion or feeling that a lot of people experience. All children feel anxious at some point in their life. If you are feeling scared or nervous and you are not completely sure why you are feeling this way, you may be experiencing anxiety. Not all feelings of anxiety are bad. Small amounts of anxiety can help motivate us to get things done, like studying for a test or winning a game. Anxiety can be experienced at anytime and may also be experienced at specific times, like when driving in a car or leaving the house. Some people feel anxious all of the time. When feelings of anxiety get in the way of you doing what you want to do, it is probably a good time to ask for help.

Why do people have anxiety?

Anxiety can be experienced for lots of different reasons and sometimes the reason for why someone experiences anxiety is not clear. Feeling anxious can run in the family or it can develop after someone has been involved in something terrible, like a car crash. Anxiety can also be caused by some medical illnesses. Anxiety can even be felt when you are in a situation that makes you uncomfortable or when you are afraid of what others may think of you.

There are all kinds of reasons why someone may have anxiety. Following is a list of reasons why children may have anxiety: physical illness or disability, parental divorce, parental illness, bullying or being teased, trouble with schoolwork or teachers, trouble with friends, feeling afraid to talk to or meet new people, worrying about the future, worrying about how you perform in sports, worrying about making a mistake or feeling embarrassed, and having specific fears, like talking in public or starting a new school. There are lots of reasons for why people have anxiety and some people may feel anxious for no specific reason at all.

What are the signs of anxiety?

Anxiety is characterized by an unpleasant sense of concern or worry. It can also be characterized as feeling afraid or nervous. The physical symptoms experienced by someone who is anxious include headaches, muscle tension, perspiration, restlessness, tension in chest, stomachaches, and shaking of hands. Anxiety can also produce confusion, memory problems, and distortions of reality. Kids who are extremely anxious may do poorly in school and can become depressed as well. Signs of anxiety in children in particular, can include being extremely shy, having trouble interacting with other children, having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, having repeated nightmares, or constantly asking if things are all right. Some children who are anxious may be irritable and demanding as well. Teenagers who are anxious may over-eat or under-eat, may sleep excessively, may be overly concerned with their appearance, and may be unhappy or angry.

How can you deal with these feelings?

It is important to know that anxiety can be dealt with successfully. Some feelings of anxiety or nervousness are normal and can even be helpful. Sometimes these feelings help motivate us into doing something that is good for us. Even though feelings of anxiety can be normal and helpful, some feelings of anxiety can get in the way of enjoying everyday things, like going to school, leaving the house, playing with friends, and performing in front of a crowd. When feelings of anxiety start interfering with the activities you participate in, that is when you may need to do something about your feelings and possibly ask for help.

The first step towards dealing with these feelings is to recognize them and admit that you are feeling anxious or nervous. Next, try not to let these feelings scare you and give yourself permission to feel anxious. If you can, try to figure out what it is you are feeling anxious about and reduce situations that may contribute to these feelings. One way to deal with feelings of anxiety is to find ways to lessen the feelings or eliminate them completely. This can be accomplished by making yourself comfortable, talking about your feelings and asking questions, saying more positive rather than negative things to yourself, reducing the need to compete or be perfect, participate in activities you enjoy, relax, exercise, and reward yourself for accomplishments.

Why should you share your feelings?

Sometimes it is hard for people to share their feelings. However, just because it is a hard thing to do doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth it. Sharing feelings can be helpful when the feelings are good and bad. If you are feeling upset, sad, or worried, it is important to remember that you are not alone and that others are there to help you.

If you are feeling upset or anxious about something, it may affect how you behave and treat others. If you keep these feelings to yourself, it may lead you to behaving in inappropriate ways and it can even make you feel sick. Keeping such strong feelings inside can also cause the feelings to grow. By sharing your feelings you can release the tension that you feel inside and begin to feel a lot better. Talking about feelings is the best way to learn more about yourself. You may even find that other people are able to help you, once you let them know how you feel.

How should you share you feelings?

In order to share your feelings with others, you have to figure out what you are feeling. It would be hard to tell a friend what you were having for lunch, if you did not look in your lunch box. Feelings work the same way. You won’t be able to share your feelings unless you take a look inside and try to figure what feelings you have.

Making a list of your feelings can help. The list can either be written down or kept in your head. It may also help to draw a picture of how you are feeling. Ask yourself what is the main emotion I am experiencing? Am I happy? Am I sad? Am I mad? Do I feel this emotion only right now or do I feel this way all the time?

When trying to uncover feelings it helps to remember a situation and then think about how it made you feel. The next step is to describe your feelings using your own words, while being as descriptive and specific as possible. For example, saying something like, “I feel sad when others tease me,” is more helpful than simply stating, “I’m sad.”

Who should you talk to?

When talking to someone about your feelings, it is important to find someone who you can trust, who is easy to talk to, and who is a good listener. You may want to talk to a teacher, a counselor, your parents, or your friends. Having friends you can talk to is very important; however, getting ideas from adults is also very important. Sometimes adults have more helpful information than friends do and they may have experienced similar feelings when they were younger.

Often individuals who do not share their feelings do so because they are worried about feeling embarrassed or humiliated. They may think that others will make fun of them or that they may even be punished. This is why it is very important to find someone to talk to whom you can trust. Also, try not to worry about what others may think, because there is a good chance that they have experienced feelings of anxiety at some point and may understand what you are feeling.