How does anxiety feel?
Anxiety can feel like a lot of things. In our bodies it can feel like butterflies in our tummy, or maybe even a sick feeling. It can feel like a fast heartbeat, and quick shallow breathing. It can feel like tightly clenched hands, or clenched teeth, and shoulders up near your ears. It can feel like a headache or a heavy, tired body. It can also feel like shaking, and maybe even sweating. Sometimes it can feel like light-headedness from the shallow breathing. It might even mean lots of visits to the toilet!
It can also make us feel like running away from what is worrying us and hiding - under a blanket, in a box, in our bedroom, outside - maybe even up a tree - or if old enough, perhaps at a mate’s place, in the bush (after some planning and letting someone know where you will be of course) or just going for a drive. This is what we call the “flight” response, and we all experience this at some time if we feel scared.
Anxiety can also make us feel angry, or even “sangry” - that’s sad and angry. It might feel like stamping feet, a hot face and loud, hurtful words. It might feel like hands that want to break things, or arms and legs that want to lash out. (Going for a run can help take this feeling away more quickly). This is what we call the “fight” response, and we all experience this at some time if we feel scared.
Anxiety can also feel like quietness, not talking so much or maybe not being able to talk or communicate at all, head down, body getting smaller, not knowing what to do, feeling stuck to the spot and unable to move or know what to do. This is what we can the “freeze” response, and we all experience this at some time if we feel scared.
Different people tend to feel and show anxiety in slightly different ways, but these feelings will always be as a result of a flight, flight or freeze response.
How does your body feel when you are feeling anxious?
It can also make us feel like running away from what is worrying us and hiding - under a blanket, in a box, in our bedroom, outside - maybe even up a tree - or if old enough, perhaps at a mate’s place, in the bush (after some planning and letting someone know where you will be of course) or just going for a drive. This is what we call the “flight” response, and we all experience this at some time if we feel scared.
Anxiety can also make us feel angry, or even “sangry” - that’s sad and angry. It might feel like stamping feet, a hot face and loud, hurtful words. It might feel like hands that want to break things, or arms and legs that want to lash out. (Going for a run can help take this feeling away more quickly). This is what we call the “fight” response, and we all experience this at some time if we feel scared.
Anxiety can also feel like quietness, not talking so much or maybe not being able to talk or communicate at all, head down, body getting smaller, not knowing what to do, feeling stuck to the spot and unable to move or know what to do. This is what we can the “freeze” response, and we all experience this at some time if we feel scared.
Different people tend to feel and show anxiety in slightly different ways, but these feelings will always be as a result of a flight, flight or freeze response.
How does your body feel when you are feeling anxious?
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Sesame Street: Name that emotion with Murray!
Murray and Ovijeta invite the viewer to play "name that emotion" using the clues of what the animals talk about and show through their behaviour.
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Anxiety - by Willa The Kid Scientist (PG for those with clown phobias)
Willa teaches us about anxiety and how it feels, all illustrated with beautiful drawings. She takes us into a lab to learn about MRI's and the images then proceeds to explain about the limbic system and it's role in the anxiety. Some examples of situations that can cause anxiety are shared too. She reminds us that anxiety can happen to anyone and it is not something to be ashamed of. You can always ask for help, and there are activities you can do to help you calm down and feel better. See the ways to feel calmer section of this website.
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'Teen's Health' on the subject of stress
Young people talk about some of the things in their lives which cause them anxiety and stress. They also share some strategies they find useful to help deal with these feelings. You might also appreciate some of the images on Introvertdoodles.com, like "Just Jump".
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What anxiety feels like (PG)
A powerful spoken word poem expressing how one teen experiences the feelings of anxiety.
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Do a Body Scan and Relax Your Body, One Part at a Time
Now that you have thought about how anxiety feels in your body, take a moment to notice how you are feeling right now. Here is a wonderful, relaxing guided meditation that helps you to become more aware of how your body is feeling and respond to that by relaxing each part until your whole body is more relaxed and you are feeling calm. |
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