Anticipatory anxiety is a type of anxiety that occurs in response to a future event or situation that an individual perceives as threatening or stressful. It is common in individuals who have experienced an anxiety-provoking situation in the past and fear that they will experience it again in the future. For example, a person who had a panic attack in a social situation may begin to feel anxious at the thought of attending another social event, even if it is weeks away. Anticipatory anxiety can manifest in a variety of physical and emotional symptoms, including rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, restlessness, and irritability. This has got to be one of the worst anxieties to have. You’re basically trying to predict the future and what you come up with isn’t remotely plausible. You’re so worried about the future that you forget to live in the present.

Overthinking Symptoms

Overthinking is a common symptom of anxiety that can lead to excessive worry and distress. Some common symptoms of overthinking in anxiety include constant worrying, difficulty making decisions, physical symptoms (such as headaches, muscle tension, or digestive discomfort), poor sleep, racing thoughts and finely avoidance. I think we all overthink on some level, however, when you have anxiety, it gets blown way out of proportion, especially with anticipatory anxiety.

Sleep Anxiety

Sleep anxiety, also known as somniphobia, is a type of anxiety disorder that affects an individual’s ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. It can manifest as difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, or waking up too early and being unable to fall back asleep.

Sleep anxiety can be caused by a variety of factors, such as chronic stress, trauma, or other underlying medical or mental health conditions. Common symptoms of sleep anxiety include:

Difficulty falling asleep: Individuals with sleep anxiety may find it takes them a long time to fall asleep, even when they feel tired.

Racing thoughts: People with sleep anxiety may have a hard time quieting their racing thoughts at bedtime. They may ruminate on past events or worry excessively about the future.

Nightmares or night terrors: Sleep anxiety can cause vivid and unpleasant dreams, nightmares or night terrors, which can cause a person to wake up feeling distressed and anxious.

Physical symptoms: Sleep anxiety can cause physical symptoms such as sweating, rapid heartbeat, and muscle tension, which can make it difficult to relax and fall asleep.

Daytime fatigue: People with sleep anxiety may feel fatigued or exhausted during the day due to lack of sleep, which can further exacerbate anxiety symptoms.

Treatment for sleep anxiety may include lifestyle changes such as practicing good sleep hygiene, relaxation techniques, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to address underlying anxiety symptoms. My problem is when I go to bed, I can’t fall asleep for a long time. My mind is going all over the place. Besides that, I can’t get comfortable, therefore, my arms and legs are going all over the place. Although lately, my sleep has gotten better. I’m able to fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Unwinding Anxiety

Unwinding anxiety is a concept developed by Dr. Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, that refers to the process of unraveling the patterns of anxiety through awareness and mindfulness. It involves the idea that anxiety is a habit loop that can be broken by gaining awareness of the triggers, thoughts, and behaviors associated with it. According to Dr. Brewer, unwinding anxiety involves recognizing the habit loop of anxiety and replacing it with a new loop that promotes well-being. This includes learning to identify the triggers of anxiety, such as negative thoughts, stressful situations, or physical sensations, and responding to them with mindfulness and compassion.

Overcoming Anxiety

Overcoming anxiety can be a challenging process that may take time and effort to achieve. Several strategies can help alleviate anxiety symptoms, including practice mindfulness, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, identify and challenge negative thoughts, practice relaxation techniques and finally, seek professional help. There is always going to be some anxiety, you just have to learn how to deal with it in a better manner. I can sit here and talk about doing this and doing that, but I don’t even follow my own advice. Today, I’m going to start, I’m going for a walk. See you in a couple! I’m back from my 30 minute walk. That felt good. Towards the end, I was kind of getting anxious for no reason at all. My breathing became labored. Whether that was because of the anxiety or I’m completely out of shape. We’ll just say a little of both.

Anxiety Disorder Self Care

Self-care practices can be excellent ways to manage anxiety symptoms, providing relief and helping to establish a sense of calm and purpose. Some things you can do for self-care with anxiety include practice mindfulness, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, write in a journal, eat nutritious food, limit caffeine & alcohol intake, connect with loved ones and finally indulge in calming activities. I have my earbuds listening to music from when I wake up to when I go to sleep. I can just drown out what is happening around me.

Managing Anxiety

Managing anxiety is a skill in itself. All you have to do is acknowledge it and don’t let it control your life. I can say, but I can’t do that at this point in my life. It’s like I know what I should be doing, but I can’t put one foot in front of the other to accomplish it. How do I manage my anxiety? More like, how does my anxiety manage me? A few years ago, I could walk up to a stranger and start a conversation. Nowadays, I hide from everybody, even my own family! Although, I do force myself into anxiety ridden situations. That’s the only way to beat it at it’s own game. In short, you have to show up to the fight with your boxing gloves on and be prepared to fight for your life. Anxiety is not going to go away without a fight.

Conclusion

Anticipatory anxiety is there to stay…if you let it. Like I said earlier, I know what needs to be done, I just need to find the courage to defeat anxiety. I’m afraid to see what could be standing there, on the other side of anxiety. Is it far worse than anxiety? Anticipatory anxiety doesn’t want you to see that there is calmness, tranquility and the person that you used to be. They’re all waiting there for you. But some of you may have gotten used to anxiety being there in your life. Anxiety is not welcomed, but it is familiar. It hangs around until it finally takes over your life. And it doesn’t want to leave. It refuses, no matter how many times you try to over power it. It always wins…until one day, you see hope standing on the other side. Hope is just standing there whispering words of confidence to you. All you have to do is reach out for it and it will embrace you as anxiety slowly realizes that you have hope. Though, it doesn’t go away without a fight. It tries every trick in the book, to stay. But, you have a hold on hope and you’re not letting go. After a fierce fight, anxiety sees that you have a death grip on hope. Surprisingly, anxiety acknowledges defeat and you’re left with hope. IT FEELS GOOD TO HAVE HOPE AGAIN!

Articles

-Anticipatory Anxiety: Bleeding Before You Are Cut

https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/anticipatory-anxiety-bleeding-you-are-cut-0#:~:text=Anticipatory%20anxiety%20is%20worry%20about,difficult%20decision%2C%20action%20or%20situation.

-Identifying And Coping With Anticipatory Anxiety

https://www.verywellmind.com/anticipatory-anxiety-2671554

-Your Calm Mind

https://sensa.health/social-anxiety/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20416901739&adgroupid=154810935769&utm_term=social%20anxiety%20test&adpos=&gc_id=20416901739&h_ad_id=668143443777&gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwkNOpBhBEEiwAb3MvvZoQYxP1FAhabmTEoUZLv1nXejFModxJFpO4zvIvSRjWtmm-2l58ohoCN3gQAvD_BwE

Have a good one,

Cindee, One Voice – Unstoppable

“You’re not alone!”