Some things that are a part of everyday life are sleeping, eating, brushing our teeth, going to work or school, doing the laundry and watching TV. All of these activities are pretty mundane and you probably do not even give them a second thought anymore because they have become a part of you. Anxiety is a feeling that is present during all of these activities but it becomes more noticeable in different situations.
Even when we are feeling safe and totally relaxed, anxious feelings are still hanging around, but we do not notice them because we are completely relaxed and at ease. However, the moment our brain tells us to be aware and alert, anxiety wakes up and begins to run rampant through our brains and bodies. This is because anxiety is a mind and body reaction. Panic is similar to anxiety and presents itself in almost the same manner.
Anxiety has actually gotten a bad reputation over the last several years because people lead more stressful lives and therefore have more anxiety. But anxiety is not always “bad.” Anxiety makes us more aware of the things around us and makes us more cautious, careful human beings. For example, without anxiety of smashing into the car in front of us, we would not be careful, alert drivers. Without the anxiety of losing our homes, we probably would not pay our mortgages or even go to work (let’s face it – there are a lot of other things we would rather be doing!). Without the anxiety of being alone, we would not treat others the way we want to be treated.
It is necessary for anxiety to be present in our lives since it is part of what makes us who we are and it is essential to our existence. If your heartbeat has ever sped up, if your breathing has ever increased, or if you have ever felt a shiver or jitter course through your body, then you have known the instance when your body has gone into an anxious state. Your body became more aware of what was going on around you and was getting you ready to react or act in an appropriate manner to keep you safe. So do not go jumping to conclusions about anxiety. It is essential to our existence and it is a part of our everyday life.
