Anxiety is a normal response to stressful situations, motivating you to revise for your exams or practice a big speech. The anxiety usually goes away once those events are over.
But for 1 in 4 Australians at some point in life, anxious feelings will persist, sometimes without a clear cause. That can have a significant impact on your life, relationships and wellbeing.
Understanding anxiety
Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried, though those emotions are part of it. It’s a natural response to danger, preparing your body to either fight or flee. But for people living with anxiety disorders, this response becomes heightened, persistent and often triggered without an obvious cause.
Overall, anxiety feels like there’s a low hum in the background of your consciousness that never allows you to slow down your brain. It’s as if there’s a spinning wheel of worry in your mind that’s being constantly propulsed and tossing your thoughts around. You think about money, then your marriage, then your kids, then work, then your car, then money again, then your health, then your kids again…and on and on.”
—Mike T., 33
Common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Restlessness or feeling on edge.
- Constant worry, often about things beyond your control.
- Physical symptoms like muscle tension, tummy aches, chest pain, or a racing heart.
- Sleep disturbances or difficulty concentrating.
These symptoms can vary in intensity, from a mild unease to a full-blown panic attack – a sudden episode of intense fear, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath.
Types of anxiety disorders
Anxiety comes in different forms:
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD): Persistent, pervasive worry about everyday things like work, health, or relationships.
- Social anxiety disorder: Intense fear of social situations or being judged.
- Panic disorder: Recurring, unexpected panic attacks.
- Phobias: Fear of specific things, like spiders or flying.
Each type has its nuances, but they share a common thread: anxiety disorders can disrupt daily life and make even simple tasks feel overwhelming.
How to deal with anxiety
Managing anxiety starts with understanding it. Think of anxiety as an untrained pet – it can often be tamed with patience, practice and the right guidance. Here are some strategies:
Make friends with your amygdala
The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped part of your brain that plays a key role in your survival. It’s wired to notice danger and generate fear or other strong emotions to keep you safe (e.g. triggering your nervous system to fight, flight or freeze) in response to a perceived threat.
Understanding that your amygdala is trying to look after you can help you shift your thinking about anxiety. Instead of feeling angry or frustrated with yourself for having anxiety, try to notice the feelings, thank your amygdala for its help and reassure it that the situation is actually OK.
To do this, some people give their amygdala a name. Then they can say things like, “Hello Stacey, yes, thank you for pointing out that issue. Things have gone a bit wrong, haven’t they? Not to worry, though, I’m sure we can sort it out. We’re good at fixing things.”
It may sound a little silly, but many people find that befriending their amygdala and having these imaginary chats with it can help shift their perspective and ease their anxiety.
Reframe your thoughts
Anxiety often tricks us into thinking the worst. Cognitive behavioural techniques can help you challenge these negative thought patterns and replace them with more balanced ones.
Build mindfulness into your routine
Anxiety is usually focused on the future – what if this happens? What if that happens?
Mindfulness practices bring you back into your immediate presence. They encourage you to engage your senses and notice what’s around you right now. This can be very grounding.
Deep belly breathing is another helpful practice. When you’re anxious, you tend to breathe quickly and shallowly, which disrupts the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your body and makes you feel more stressed.
Deliberate, deep, slow breathing helps to calm your nervous system and reduce stress hormones.
Move your body
Exercise is an often-overlooked natural wonder drug that can help relieve anxiety by:
- Releasing endorphins, the ‘feel-good’ chemicals in your brain
- Decreasing muscle tension
- Activating the areas of your brain that control executive function, helps to keep your amygdala in check
- Providing a healthy form of stress relief (far better than other common choices like drinking too much alcohol).
Soothe your senses
Sometimes, anxiety can feel like sensory overload – like all the lights and sounds are turned up too high. Sensory aids like weighted blankets or fidget tools can be beneficial, especially during moments of heightened anxiety.
A calming sensory room offers a calming space designed to reduce tension. Soft lighting, soothing sounds and tactile objects can help bring your mind and body back to balance.
Our founder, Dr Bliss Cavanagh, explored the benefits of calming sensory rooms in her PhD. She installed a sensory room outside a university library and interviewed users after they’d spent some time in there. Many described how the sensory room helped to calm their mind and improve their mood.
- Jacob said: ‘I noticed that it was instant; the atmosphere was calm. And I felt that all the stresses and things literally were left at the door’.
- Lesley explained: ‘… it was just about being present and grounded and being more in the moment in a positive way…’
- Rose noted: ‘… it’s a distraction from stress and thinking and it’s a focus that’s not on yourself’.
- Bella described the longer-lasting benefits: ‘… my spirits were lifted. …probably a couple of weeks of just feeling a lot better’.
- Kirsten said: ‘I really do feel calmer when I leave here’.
- Louise said: ‘…it’s sort of like everything is then under control’.
Seek professional help
Anxiety is a mental health disorder, which can be managed through evidence-based treatment. Your first step should be to speak to a trusted GP, who may refer you to a psychologist or may prescribe medications.
How can we help?
At Creative Sensory Spaces, we design and install sensory-soothing spaces for public venues, corporations, health clinics or educational institutions. These spaces provide a room to reset, where people with anxiety, stress or other conditions can calm themselves.
Anxiety doesn’t have to define your life. With the right strategies and support, you can experience calmer moments and rediscover your love of life.
Book your free 15-minute consultation today and let us help you design a sensory solution that meets your needs.
