What is anxiety?

Signs and causes 🧠

Quick summary 📝

1️⃣ Anxiety is something that describes feeling uneasy, scared or worried

2️⃣ Anxiety makes your breathing and heart speed up and you may get butterflies

3️⃣ Anxiety has different causes, so figuring out your triggers can help you understand it better and feel more in control

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You’ve probably heard people talk about "anxiety" or "feeling anxious" – but what does it mean?

And how do you know if you have anxiety?

Let's talk about it 👇

What actually is anxiety?

Anxiety often starts with a feeling of unease, fear or worry that can be hard to control.

Sometimes anxiety's triggered (or kicked off) by something specific, but other times, the cause isn't so clear 🫣

What can cause anxiety?

Different things cause different people to worry, including:

👉 Life changes: big or small, like moving school, changing houses, or starting university

👉 Social situations: like meeting new people or forming new relationships

👉 Fears or past experiences: like speaking in front of a crowd or being near animals

👉 Difficult moments: like losing a loved one or family arguing at home

Figuring out what your anxiety cause or "trigger" is can be really helpful so you can take steps to avoid that trigger, or at least manage it.

What does anxiety feel like in the body?

luna's about to get a little technical here 🤓☝️

Did you know that your body's designed to deal with very stressful scenarios?

When something feels overwhelming, your body triggers a "fight or flight" response 🥊

This response means stress hormones – known as adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol – rush into the blood stream🩸

Basically: when you're stressed and anxious, your body makes your...

👉 breathing speed up

👉 heart pound

👉 stomach feel like it has butterflies 🦋

How does anxiety show up in everyday life?

Anxiety can show up in many different ways and at different levels.

Some common signs are...

👉 Feeling easily tired or exhausted

👉 Struggling to fall or stay asleep

👉 Obsessively thinking about something

👉 Having trouble concentrating

👉 Feeling sad or teary

👉 Headaches, muscle aches, stomach pain, or unexplained aches

👉 Feeling irritable and tense

👉 Not feeling very hungry

👉 Finding it hard to control feelings of worry

👉 Panic attacks – these might include fast breathing, a racing heart, or pins and needles

You're not alone in this

If you think you have anxiety and it's impacting your every day life, please talk to someone you trust like a parent, teacher, or school counsellor.

Anxiety can feel overwhelming, but you’re absolutely not alone 🌷

With an adult, you can think about booking an appointment with a doctor, who will help you figure out what’s next.