anxiety
Anxiety is fear, or worry about something that might happen in the future or ruminating on something that has happened in the past. It can keep us from doing the things we would like to do, want to be able to do, or have to do. This page can help you discover ways to overcome your anxiety so you can live the life you want.
What is the anxiety cycle?
When we are anxious we often try to avoid the thing we are anxious about - a situation, a place, event, or activity etc. But avoidance just makes our anxiety worse in the
long run even if it makes us feel better in the moment. For example, anxiety
around maths is not uncommon but based on the anxiety cycle, avoiding
maths class means you don't learn the content, which means you perform
poorly and become even more anxious about maths.
Understanding anxiety is one of the best ways to start to beat it. Click the pic for a video explaining what anxiety is.
Have a look here to find out what's going in your brain when you're anxious.
Having to perform in front of others is a classic symptom of social anxiety and can exist around sport, public speaking, presenting practical work like an artwork you've made, answering questions in class, or being asked to read out loud in class. While most people get nervous when they have to perform in front of others there is a difference between nerves that help you perform well, and anxiety that stops you from being able to perform well or at all. Click here to get some ideas on how to beat performance anxiety.
Social anxiety can interfere with sport and athletic performance too. Some people can worry too much about disappointing others, about being criticised for their performance, about an injury they've just recovered from, or playing in an unfamiliar place. For tips on beating sport performance anxiety, click on the pic.
While social anxiety is one of the most common types of anxiety, especially for teens, there are others. Check out the other types of anxiety by clicking on the pic above.
To find out more about anxiety and sleep, watch the video above.
