What should you know about nervousness and anxiety?

Anxiety may bring racing thoughts, muscle tension, restlessness, sweating, a fast heartbeat, stomach upset, or difficulty concentrating. It can be tied to a clear situation or continue without an obvious trigger. Persistent worry can also disturb sleep, reduce appetite, or lead you to avoid work, travel, social contact, or everyday tasks.

Feeling anxious is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Generalised Anxiety Disorder involves ongoing excessive worry; panic disorder involves recurrent panic attacks and concern about further attacks. Low mood, burnout, insomnia, thyroid problems, medicines, and stimulant use can overlap with anxiety symptoms.

Name the immediate concern, slow your breathing, and bring attention to sights, sounds, and physical contact with the ground. Keep regular meals, movement, and a consistent sleep routine. Limit caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, which can intensify physical arousal or disrupt sleep. Share what is happening with someone you trust.

Book a mental health assessment when anxiety lasts, returns often, or changes how you function. A clinician can discuss talking therapies, medication where appropriate, physical causes, and a plan for follow-up.

Get urgent help if you may harm yourself or someone else, cannot stay safe, feel detached from reality, or have severe chest pain, fainting, or difficulty breathing. A sudden medical emergency can resemble panic, so new or intense physical symptoms should be assessed rather than assumed to be anxiety.

Ask: What pattern do my symptoms suggest? Could sleep, thyroid function, substances, or another illness contribute? Which therapy options fit my situation, and what should I do if symptoms surge between appointments?