Your Guide to Understanding Anxiety

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry, or fear about uncertain future events. It’s a normal response in certain situations. But it becomes a problem when people experience a lot of anxiety that persists and interferes with daily life. (This is called an anxiety disorder.)

What causes anxiety?

Anxiety is typically caused by a mix of these factors:

• Biological (genetics and brain chemistry make anxiety more likely in some people)
• Psychological (negative thought patterns and learned behaviors add to anxiety)
• Environmental (stressful life events and trauma can trigger or worsen anxiety)

What are the symptoms of an anxiety disorder?

You might have an anxiety disorder if you often:

• Feel worry that won’t go away
• Have panic attacks or a fast heart rate that won’t slow down
• Avoid certain situations, thoughts, or feelings that trigger or worsen anxiety

How do I manage my anxiety?

Reach out to your Firefly care team for help figuring out a plan.

Managing anxiety often works best with a mix of strategies:

• Lifestyle: healthy diet, exercise, good sleep, limiting caffeine and alcohol, drinking a lot of water
• Coping: breathing, meditation, mindfulness, grounding, challenging negative thoughts, problem-solving, time management, hobbies, nature
• Support: talking to others, support groups, therapy, medication (if needed)

Start with one or two strategies and then try more as needed. It can also help to identify your anxiety triggers. Dive deeper into stress and anxiety management.

Any ideas for quick, in-the-moment anxiety relief?

• Use relaxation techniques, like relaxing your muscles one by one, deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness
• Ground yourself by counting down from 5
• Focus on your senses
• Say nice things to yourself about yourself
• Move your body
• Distract yourself
• Splash cool water on your face
• Smell a calming scent
• Visualize a positive outcome
• Go outside

Get more ideas for quick stress and anxiety relief.

What other resources are available?

Self-help worksheets

• You might find it helpful to use these worksheets on anxiety, worry and rumination, and tolerating distress.

Books

• Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life (Steven C. Hayes, Ph.D.)
• The Mindful Way through Anxiety (Susan M. Orsillo, Ph.D. and Lizabeth Roemer, Ph.D.)

Apps

• Calm (meditation, relaxation, and sleep)
• Headspace (meditation, stress relief, and sleep)
• Insight Timer (meditation)
• Breathe2Relax (stress relief) – usually free in Google Play and App Store
• Smiling Mind (mental fitness)