It’s likely that we’ve all felt stress or anxiety at some point, particularly when things are busy or difficult at work, school, or in our personal lives. As April is Stress Awareness Month, we’re here to demystify anxiety and give some tips about how to build up a resilience toolkit and look after your amazing – though sometimes anxious – brain.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety happens when we feel nervous or worried. There are many different symptoms of anxiety, but some of the most common are a faster heart rate, headaches, restlessness and nausea [1]. It’s normal to feel anxious every now and then, but if you feel it a lot, or if you start to experience panic attacks, it can become an anxiety disorder, and you might need extra support.
Why do we feel anxiety?
Our brains are very complex, clever organs that work very, very hard to look after us – and believe it or not, anxiety is part of that. Imagine you are a prehistoric person, taking a stroll through the woods, and suddenly you’re confronted with a ferocious sabretooth tiger. Panic will set in, and your fight or flight instinct will kick in. When this happens, your brain starts getting your body ready to run away or protect yourself. Though nowadays you’re far less likely to need to fight off a predator, this evolved trait remains, meaning that a stressful event – such as an upcoming exam, or if your cat suddenly leaps out from behind the sofa – can trigger fight-or-flight [2]. It might not feel good, but your brain is trying to protect you!
What’s going on in our brains when we’re anxious?
The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the fight-or-flight response. This means that, when you experience something that feels scary or dangerous, your pituitary and adrenal glands start producing chemicals, including cortisol and adrenaline, to prepare your body to run or fight. Your heart rate and breathing will get faster to provide your body with more oxygen, your muscles will tense for action, and your pupils will dilate so that you can see the surrounding area better. Normally, these symptoms will last for about 20 minutes after the “threat” has stopped – or your cat has slunk off into the garden – before a second neurological system, the parasympathetic nervous system, reassured that everything’s ok, stops the production of those chemicals and calms you down again [3].
How can we reduce anxiety?
The theme of this year’s Stress Awareness Month is #LittleByLittle, showing how simple steps can help to improve your mental health. There are lots of small changes you can make to look after your brain and reduce stress, from eating healthy foods and getting enough exercise (did you know that exercise makes your brains release endorphins, which make you feel calmer and happier?) to engaging in things you enjoy, opening up to friends, and getting enough sleep.
And Breathe...
If you’re feeling anxious or panicky, try the 8-4-7 breathing technique.
1. Breathe out through your mouth, hard enough that you can hear it, for a count of eight.
2. Breathe in deeply through your nose for a count of four.
3. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
4. Repeat
This technique can help slow your heart rate and encourages your body to relax [4].
Braintastic! Science’s Building a Resilient Brain workshop talks openly about stress, anxiety and mental health with young people aged 7–14 (KS2–KS3), and helps with building an emotional toolkit to encourage mental wellness and bounce-back-ability. If you're interested in us coming along to your school, get in touch to find out more!
