If you’re somebody who feels anxious all the time but doesn’t know why life can be tough. One moment you’re happily going about your business, and the next, you’re beset with awful feelings of dread.
If that sounds like you, then you’re not alone. Around 95 percent of people say that they have felt anxious for no apparent reason at some points in their lives. It’s something that affects millions of people around the world and can strike at any time.
Why are our bodies capable of feeling anxiety at all? It’s a question worth answering because it puts the sensation in context.
Evolutionarily, the purpose of anxiety was to motivate us to avoid danger. Feeling uneasy or nervous prevented us from wading through lakes full of crocodiles or approaching packs of lions. It was an in-built mechanism designed to protect us from predation by other species or taking pointlessly excessive risks, like jumping off cliffs.
In the modern world, most of us don’t face threats like these anymore. While there is violent crime, most of us are safe, most of the time. Thus our anxieties aren’t coming from the same place they did historically. Instead, they originate from somewhere else.
But where?
Being Too Busy
Our lifestyles often have a nasty habit of hijacking our brain chemistry, making us feel things that we wouldn’t ordinarily feel in a different context. For instance, the need to continually work is a relatively new feature of the human experience. We have more stuff and financial security than ever before, but that abundance tends to come at a cost to how we feel. If you’re rushing from place to place all day, trying to get everything done, then it can make you feel uneasy. The same brain chemistry that tells you to fear crocodiles in the river also activates when you fear that you won’t be able to cram in everything you need to get done in a single day. It’s the same response.
You’re Suffering From The Effects Of Emotional Trauma
Emotional trauma is one of the reasons that people use CBD oil. The idea is to try to return the brain to balance. It can, however, be challenging to get over some of the dreadful events that life can throw your way. People who have been through traumatic events often experience anxiety-provoking flashbacks that make them feel on edge.
Not Eating Enough
Okay, so perhaps you’re not a super busy person. That’s okay. So, where else might your random anxiety attacks be coming from?
One possibility is that you’re not eating enough. If your diet is too low in calories, your body will automatically begin churning out hormones designed to provoke you to go out and find food. People on starvation diets have higher levels of cortisol in their blood, a hormone that can make you feel on edge and leave you prone to panic attacks.
Eating healthily for most of the time is a good idea, but having the occasional splurge is part and parcel of the human experience. According to some researchers, feasting from time to time is a good idea.
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
