Surprising Ways Anxiety Can Affect Your Body
Anxiety is something we all live with at some point. It’s a normal reaction to the unknown in our life, but when it gets out of control and starts to dictate what you do, it becomes a problem. Of course, some sources of anxiety can be surprising, but did you know that anxiety in turn can also have some surprising effects? And the more you know about the way your body and mind might be affected, the better you’ll be at removing the anxiety symptoms in your life.
You Can Deal with Lots of Skin Issues
If you’re anxious, it could really show on your skin! The skin is the body’s largest organ, and it deals with a lot throughout the day. So when you’re feeling on edge, and like something bad could happen at any moment, there’s a chance you could have a breakout of some kind. Your skin actually tends to be the first place you’ll find signs that your anxiety is getting worse.
Whether you’re noticeably more ‘spotty’ than usual, or you’ve noticed a rash somewhere on your body, or you’ve got more symptoms to do with a dermatological issue you already have, it could be anxiety’s fault. It’s best to talk to a healthcare professional if such issues are making you uncomfortable, as the stress from seeing your skin react can in turn cause you to become even more anxious!
You Can Become Restless, Both in Mind and Body
Anxiety can make us feel like we can’t stay still, and we need to be moving at all times. And even if your anxiety makes you feel like you can’t quite get up and go, you’re probably fidgeting a lot as well right? It’s another sign you’re restless! Whether you’re someone who can sit still, or you can never quite calm your thoughts down, it’s a sign anxiety is getting on top of you.
Indeed, a restless feeling can lead you to doing a lot of counterproductive things. It might cause you to skip out on your responsibilities, or to self medicate in a hope to get the feeling to go away. A lot of people who live with anxiety have to check into treatment centers like rehab for alcohol addictions, and it all starts with that restless, racing feeling.
You’re Always on Social Media
Do you use your phone a lot? It could be a sign that you’re looking for a distraction at all times. And even though we live in a world where people can be glued to their devices without much problem, if you’ve already been diagnosed with anxiety, it could be another symptom. You could be trying to change the way you think by pumping your mind full of new media to consume, and there’s nothing more on the button than social media!
However, this is also true for people who like to ‘doom scroll’. Even though it sounds like the last thing you’d want to do as someone dealing with a lot of anxiety, it can be addictive to consume bad news stories from around the world. It helps to confirm a cynical inner bias that tends to appear only when you’re feeling on edge and hypervigilant. But if you know this is a compulsive, anxious behaviour, you can stop yourself as soon as you realise.
You May Experience Some Vivid Dreams
Vivid dreams, bad dreams, and nightmares are not necessarily signs of anxiety, even if you think they would be. After all, our brains can come up with all kinds of weird images when we’re asleep, even if we’ve had a happy and fulfilling day! However, they can all be signs that your waking hour anxiety is off the charts.
More vivid dreams than usual, most especially, are signs that you’re feeling more anxious than you typically would be. Being able to remember a dream in clear detail, or feeling like you haven’t slept a wink because of how vivid the dream actually was, is a good indicator of feeling uncomfortable in yourself. It might be worth it to check into a sleep clinic if these dreams become a problem.
Anxiety can affect your body in various ways, and lots of these symptoms can occur at the same time. And a lot of these effects can be incredibly surprising! However, if you’re not sure if something is happening because of anxiety, it’s best to talk to a doctor. Get their opinion before you look into any treatments.
