What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is an unpleasant, diffuse, obscure sense of apprehension. Often, it is a response to an unknown or imprecise threat like the uneasiness an individual may feel walking on a dark, secluded street alone. The uneasiness in this circumstance will be caused by anxiety associated to the possibility of something negative or bad happening like being harmed or injured by an unknown person, instead of an immediate danger. This anxiety emerges from the mind’s interpretation of the potential dangers.
Often, anxiety is accompanied by many bad somatic sensations. There are some common physical symptoms related to anxiety, such as nausea; upset stomach; tightness experienced throughout the body, particularly in the face, jaw, neck, head; disturbances in sleep; shortness in breath; trembling and shaking; pulsing or ringing in ears; tingling or numbness; muscle tension and pain; headache; feeling like you are going crazy; excessive sweating; feeling faint; derealization and depersonalization; hot flushes or cold chills; chest pain; and accelerated heart rate.
What is Fear?
When you feel fear, the five senses of touch, smell, taste, hear and seeing translate information occurring in the immediate environment. For instance, when you feel touched on the back unexpectedly, smell smoke in the house, hear footsteps coming from behind, see a terrible animal running towards you, the limbic system called emotional brain, ignites the fear response. This occurs automatically, which is the reason, people cannot control whether they have emotions and feelings, only how they react to them.
Core fear causes several changes in the human body ready to flee or fight. Imagine for a moment what happens when an individual gets surprised. The mere astonishment of a horn, for example, begins the heart racing, which makes the breathing faster and shallower. A person may flinch or jump. All the physical changes which fear causes promotes a fast response to danger.
Keep in mind that since many people blame themselves for having emotions, that anxiety, fear or other core feelings are automatic reactions which they cannot prevent. Mother Nature made people this way for a particular reason. Moreover, bypassing conscious control actually makes way for quicker reactions. Without fear, peopke would be easier prey.
Fear vs. Anxiety
Chances are good that an individual experiences some level of anxiety or fear on a regular basis. But what do fear and anxiety really mean? Both the mental states are noticed by a sense of disquiet, concern and maybe stress. However, they are not the same. There are some main differences between fear and anxiety, such as:
Anxiety Affects Both Mind and Body, Fear Resides in the Mind
Everyday worries or fear occur in the thoughts, whereas anxiety manifests often in the body. You may feel lightheaded or faint. Individuals who are anxious are more likely to experience digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion and nausea.
Anxiety is Generalized, Fear is Specific
Whether you are fixating on the likelihood of getting infected with coronavirus or trying to work out how you will be able to homeschool 3 kids, fear is concrete and distinct. Generally, anxiety is vague. You feel rattled, but you cannot really pinpoint what you are anxious about, which could make problem-solving tough.
Anxiety is Noticeable by Catastrophic Thinking, Fear is Grounded in Reality
There is a logical element to worry. The brain is attempting to make sense of a present and real danger. Furthermore, worrying when the fears are actionable in fact makes sense. It is fear that can lead a person to take coronavirus protections, such as wearing a mask and washing the hands. On the other hand, anxiety overestimates risk. To make matters aggravated, people with anxiety may underate their ability to deal with a negative result or consequence.
Anxiety is Long-Lasting, Fear is Temporary
Usually, fear is short-term. There is a distressing situation such as covid and you tend to worry about it. Also, worry pokes you to utilize problem-solving skills in order to address your worries. Anxiety is unrelenting, even when worries are unrealistic. Often, it compromises the ability to function.
Worry Does Not Impair Ability or Function, Anxiety Does
An individual probably won’t be compelled to take a sick day leave due to concerns about weight gain or finances. However, anxiety seeps into the mind and could make it difficult to concentrate and get things done.
How to Deal with Anxiety and Fear?
You should challenge negative thoughts with positive feelings. In most situations, negative thoughts are driven by an anxious brain. Therefore, blocking them with a positive challenge test could help reset the mind. In addition, you should take 5 to 10 minutes daily to unwind yourself. This would make your surrounding powerful and positive, which will lead to anxiety-quelling effects. Since one of the distinctive characteristics of anxiety is evasion, exposing yourself completely to what you are anxious about can help you develop tolerance. The overall motive is to desensitize an anxious person to discomfort so that they sit in the feeling until they adapt. This kind of exposure treatment actually works best when individuals also learn calming and relaxation skills.