The end of the year can be an especially stressful time. Between the hustle and bustle of the holidays and what seems like thousands of things you have to get done, it quickly can become overwhelming. Even the days off from work get filled with errands, not to mention all the family gatherings and festive parties you are obliged to attend. The constant forward moving pace and the many expectations thrust upon you can wreak havoc on your mental state and leave you frazzled. In some cases people develop anxiety disorders from all of the stresses they experience here and there, and in the end it adds up.
The National Institute of Mental Health named anxiety disorders as the most common mental health illness in America. Generalized anxiety affects millions of people at many different times in their lives and it’s easy to see why. Even if it seems slow at times, life today moves at an incredibly fast pace and in this global, constantly changing world things get hectic and people stress out. It’s easy to burn yourself out between kids, jobs, school, pets, and the million other things you have to worry about and do every single day. If you can’t find a way to balance and deal with all the stuff in your life then you could be headed towards anxiety-ville, if you aren’t already there.
To be clear, anxiety is defined medically as “an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it.” (“Anxiety” Def. 2. Merriam Webster Online). If you’ve ever experienced deeply unpleasant feelings and emotions of dread or unease over future situations and things beyond your control, then you have felt the agitation of anxiety. The constant nagging in your mind can result in real pain and physical symptoms of anxiety may manifest as dizziness, sweating, trembling, heart pounding, nausea, abdominal distress, and more. Many people exhibit some of these symptoms, but when they’re coupled with persistent worry and negative thoughts that won’t go away, they can easily spiral out of control.
While we all have some level of stress in our lives which can be good, too much is bad and leads to anxiety. When it starts to impact your sleep and social life it can make you feel like you’re going crazy. If you suspect that your stress has gone up recently, you should definitely take this general screening quiz to see where you stand on the anxiety spectrum. It looks at what you pick up on and notice most about classic works of art, then translates your choices into what level of anxiety they reflect.
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