Anxiety is a sense of fear, worry, uncertainty or other related feelings that anyone can experience during all walks of life. Anxiety can come up naturally for us in new situations or often in anticipation of something important, intimidating or even scary. Sometimes, though, it can become so overwhelming that it prevents us from enjoying the people, places, or activities that we usually love. Anxiety is tied to our “fight or flight” response, which can lead us to avoid anything that might trigger the anxious feelings, including people, places, or things we’d usually enjoy. It can even manifest itself physically, causing us to feel the anxiety in our bodies. 

Anxiety is not uncommon, and it does not discriminate -- it affects folks cross-culturally, and across all gender-identities and ages. It can look different for the many people it affects, manifesting both emotionally and physically. Below are some common indicators of anxiety:

• Excessive worry
• Avoidance, isolation
• Racing thoughts
• Irritability, fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping

As you read each one of these, you may identify with one or more of the indicators, or maybe you remember a time at which you felt this way. You might remember frequently going to the nurse's office with stomach aches as a child, or maybe as you grew up you were so overwhelmed some days that you couldn't make it to school. Maybe you have a child who can't stop crying every time you drop them off for daycare, or you find yourself lying awake with thoughts racing in your head every night. Anxiety is completely normal to experience, and can even be an effective motivator when mild or temporary. When anxiety becomes so excessive that it keeps you up all night every night, or you can’t focus because your head is swirling with worries you can’t control – that’s where we come in.