Anxiety is a stressful and dangerous response to a situation, and everyone experiences it from time to time. Though when anxiety becomes frequent, it can change the way a person responds or behaves. This leads to constant worry, fear, and restlessness in situations that are not that troublesome. Occasional anxiety is normal, but ongoing anxiety is not a good sign. Anxiety affects the functioning of the brain. It causes the brain to stay alert all the time and makes it harder to relax, concentrate, and do work. The longer the anxiety lasts, it becomes difficult to make decisions, and it interrupts the normal everyday functions. It can lead to more serious health issues such as panic attacks and depression.
Some of the ways in which anxiety affects our mind are:
1. Affects Concentration
One of the most common concerns about anxiety is concentration. When individuals have anxiety, it becomes difficult for them to focus on their work, and they always worry. These thoughts can be about their future, possible dangers, or things about the past. As the mind is already occupied with so many thoughts, it becomes difficult to focus on daily activities or other responsibilities. People with anxiety may find it difficult to complete their daily tasks or may skip certain things off their routine. Simple tasks like reading a book or listening to somebody become quite difficult.
2. Disrupting Sleep Patterns
Anxiety affects the sleeping pattern, and this causes problems with the functioning of the brain. People with anxiety might just lie down and won’t be able to sleep because of thoughts like worrying about the next day or about activities of the same day. This is why they will find it difficult to sleep and have problems concentrating the next day. Poor sleep leads to irritability and stress. Getting a good sleep is important for mental health. If you have problems sleeping, then you can go for meditation or yoga or drink chamomile tea, as it helps to calm down the mind.
3. Impact Emotional Control
Impact Emotional ControlPeople with anxiety may find it difficult to control their emotions. They will feel overwhelmed over certain things and react more unusually than normal. They might cry easily, get angry, or feel nervous. Anxiety puts our brain into ‘fight or flight’ mode, even when there is no danger. People with anxiety feel that they are alone or misunderstood in every situation and may feel demotivated at all times. Talking to a trusted person or doing activities that you love may feel good, and this way individuals are able to manage their emotions in the right way.
4. Affects Memory
Anxiety makes it difficult for individuals to remember things as they lose their concentration power. This is all because of the fact that the brain is all the time under stress. When the person is anxious, he forgets about minor and major details as his brain is occupied, and it gets distracted as well. There is a problem in learning new things, and even recalling everyday activities becomes quite difficult. If a person has anxiety, then he should always stay organized with notes and reminders so that it becomes easy for him to carry out tasks.
Anxiety has a powerful impact on our minds, and it changes everything from how we behave, understand, and react. People who have anxiety need someone who they can talk with and share their problems with.
