5 subtle signs that you suffer from Anxiety (and how to detect them)

We have given anxiety a very bad press: in itself it is not negative, but rather an adaptive response to respond to situations that we consider threatening or dangerous. If we consider the great evolutionary advantage that this implies, we could say that thanks to it we are here.

And while today you most likely won't meet a mammoth across the street, it remains adaptive in many ways. circumstances of everyday life, such as solving problems quickly and efficiently or making predictions about situations future. However, despite the fact that it is a reaction that is often functional and that we all experience, we tend to pretend that "it is not there." In other cases, we try to suppress it with the hope that it will go away, because feeling anxiety is a very unpleasant experience, both physiologically and psychologically.

At first glance, this seems like a good strategy: why would we put up with something that makes us feel bad? Well, this reasoning has two problems: first, if we avoid feeling anxiety we will not allow ourselves to remain in those situations that could be of great value. significant for our lives but that carry a share of anxiety (for example, going to a job interview that excites us but makes our heart rate go up just think about it). The second problem, closely linked to the first, is that, instead, we carry out behaviors in order to escape that anxiety, more than it seems. It is very likely that you have even noticed some of them. For this reason, we will now shed light on how to detect

the subtle signs that you suffer from anxiety and what some of them might be.

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How to detect the subtle signs of anxiety?

As we said, each one of us experiences anxiety, although the strategies that we put into practice against it are different. We can practice accepting the physical sensations and uncomfortable thoughts that anxiety brings so that we can then make a decision. valuable, or we can carry out behaviors that quickly eliminate anxiety (which is not bad, but in certain scenarios it can be a response inflexible; since, as we said, what we consider important could imply some anxiety).

While this logic can be applied to a range of uncomfortable internal experiences (e.g. emotions such as sadness), when it comes to anxiety, we could locate a common denominator among many of them: the persecution of certainty.

We cling to knowing exactly what will happen in every area of ​​our lives.. What is paradoxical is that the more certainty we want to have regarding a certain situation in order to feel less anxious, the more our concern about it increases. Pursuing this illusion, we carry out reinsurance behaviors whose ultimate goal is to confirm that everything is under control. Think about it, surely you can think of several examples from your own life. Now that you know how to detect them, let's see what are the subtle actions that we carry out and to which anxiety underlies.

1. Difficulties making decisions

Many times we have heard someone complain (or even ourselves) about how hard it is for them to make a decision. And it is that, in truth, it is logical that it costs us. We are highly trained in evaluating an infinite number of possibilities for solving a problem and in pondering the consequences that could bring us, resulting in the imagination of multiple scenarios in a matter of seconds. However, at a certain point, continuing to reflect ceases to be useful, so it would be ideal to take action. What happens is that carrying out what we plan usually brings anxiety. People who find it too difficult to make decisions may resort to the carry on strategy thinking about them indefinitely, something that could be disguised as a "cautious" or "responsible" attitude. However, staying in that reflective loop is usually a sign of anxiety.

• You may be interested in: "The 'analysis paralysis'; when overthinking it becomes a problem"

2. excessive punctuality

People who are excessively punctual tend to get impatient when someone is late. Many times they argue that abiding by the stipulated schedules is a form of respect with others and with themselves, something with which we are very likely to agree.

However, Excessive punctuality may be directed toward exercising some control, because experiencing the anxiety that comes with not knowing what will happen In a certain situation—linked to thoughts like "Today's meeting is going to go horribly wrong" or "What if my boss gets there before me and I come in from the street a mess?"—it can be intolerable. Arriving early, on the other hand, implies gaining some certainty in this regard.

• Related article: "Time management: 13 tips to make the most of the hours of the day"

3. homework review

Another sign of anxiety that can go unnoticed is unnecessary review of some homework. We use this strategy because it can give us a temporary sense of calm.. For example, pulling the doorknobs several times to confirm that they have been properly closed or returning home because we believe that we have left something behind. Although it also happens in more imperceptible ways, such as when we reread a message several times before sending it, since doing so causes us certain nervousness or unpleasant physical sensations.

4. Searching for too much information on the internet

"Don't search the internet for your symptoms" is an increasingly widespread admonition. And with good reason, since this signal of anxiety very well illustrates the other side of these strategies. By seeking information about a certain medical topic, with the intention of finding out what's wrong with us or reassuring ourselves that "we don't have to worry about," we can temporarily allay anxiety. But anxiety is likely to return later (as a result of some conversation or some concern that has arisen), and let's review again; only managing to increase our level of anxiety.

The more we seek certainty, we not only become more intolerant of its absence, but also the unpleasant emotions that we initially wanted to eliminate increase.

5. Other symptoms of anxiety

Finally, we must mention other symptoms of anxiety since it is surprising how, in practice, many people get used to living with them, being almost imperceptible. Some of these symptoms include: having trouble concentrating or falling asleep, feeling irritable, with the sensation of having the nerves on edge and the muscles tense; although it can also manifest as fatigue or exhaustion. It is important to attend to the physical symptoms, since these can also be indicators of anxiety.