The Impacts of Anxiety on Your Emotions

We all know that anxiety can make you feel, well, anxious. But did you know there’s so much more to it than that? If you’ve got anxiety, or even just feel anxious from time to time, it’s likely you realize that there’s more going on than it seems. Even still, the number (and range) of other emotions anxiety may bring up for you can be surprising! Whatever you’re feeling alongside anxiety, you’re likely not alone. So how does anxiety feel when you dig deep? Let’s go through some of the emotions together!

Before you dive in, remember that our professionals are always here to help

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Anxiety may make you feel many things

If you’re only familiar with feeling the physical domino effect of anxiety, you may not have taken much time to sit with the other emotional experiences that come along with anxiety.

Here are some scenarios that may elicit incognito anxiety

To make things even more complex, anxiety’s emotional impact may extend well beyond the time of the anxiety itself. Ripple effects may be felt leading up to, just after or long after the conclusion of an anxious moment.

Your expectations do not line up with reality

Tasks not going the way you expected may cause anxiety even if the task gets completed in the end. Whether you’re plan oriented or goal-driven, unmet expectations for how something will come about can be really frustrating. For some people, a change in the way something happens can derail your entire emotional landscape.

This anxiety is most likely to feel like: fear, irritation, impatience, overwhelm or anger.

Plans change without warning

A sudden shift in plans may be anxiety-inducing, especially if the plans involve lots of variables or pre-planning. Not being able to execute your planning or follow through on those expectations could cause anxiety about how things will go now, or what will happen instead, or it may just create an emotional storm you can’t see clearly through.

This anxiety is most likely to feel like: anger, inflexibility, disappointment or irritability.

You feel as if you’re missing out on something

When you have to make a decision between two things you really want - or worse: one thing you want and another you need but absolutely don’t want to deal with - you may begin to feel the impact of anxiety. Fear of missing out is so real that it’s gotten an acronym, hashtag and inclusion in pop culture. If you’re #FOMO is lingering, it might be anxiety.

This anxiety is most likely to feel like: betrayal, defeat, fear, guilt, distraction or resentment.

Your goals feel out of reach or unachievable

Feel like you’re stuck in the mud and spinning your wheels? When life feels stagnant, anxiety is likely to rise as you crave progress but only feel paralyzed. Anxiety about being stuck or stalled in life can bring on big feelings that linger in the most surprising moments, like when you’re trying to unwind.

This anxiety is most likely to feel like: urgency, defeat, frustration, shame or guilt.

You feel like you’ve lost control of a situation

A sense of impending chaos or like there’s no way to regain balance in a moment or situation can be one of the most intense feelings. When life has all gone pear-shaped, topsy turvy or any one of the idioms a loss of control has garnered over time, you are certainly not alone in trying to grip your sense of stability in this (or any) moment.

This anxiety is most likely to feel like: anger, inadequacy, defeat, urgency, shame or fear.

The help you seek tells you to just “get over it”

A brush off when you reach for a helping hand is a universally awful feeling. For someone with anxiety, this may lead to a spiral of invalidation that brings along some of the deepest emotions lingering beneath the umbrella of anxiety. When someone doesn’t believe you or isn’t interested in helping you when you ask for help, the experience may cut to the core of you in a very personal way.

This anxiety is most likely to feel like: betrayal, loss, shame, embarrassment, or inadequacy.

Here are 6 tips to help you take back your power

While this article is not focused on solving anxiety, we don’t want to leave you with no options to move forward. Not having a next step when you’ve been given a guide can be another source of anxiety and our goal is an evergreen one: to support you. Here are some things you can try to help alleviate anxiety and all its insidious friends.

Move your body.
Learn about anxiety- read, watch or listen to others' experiences.
Contact a professional for support.
Prioritize rest, even if you can’t sleep.
Rebalance your schedule.
Practice mindful breathing.