Signs and Symptoms

Everyday Anxiety & Anxiety Disorders

Everyday Anxiety

Everyone experiences anxiety. Sometimes it is uncomfortable, and other times – it can help motivate us to work hard and tackle our goals. Everyday anxiety might include stressing about traffic, pre-game jitters or managing your finances. It is important to know where your line is drawn between everyday anxiety, and anxiety that is having a significant impact on your functioning.

You may experience some of the following signs and symptoms:

  • Physical: Feeling irritable or on edge, experiencing shortness of breath, tense muscles
  • Psychological: Feeling worried or fearful, having racing thoughts
  • Behavioural: Avoiding situations that make you feel anxious, this may impact work, social life, sport engagement etc.

Anxiety Disorders

An anxiety disorder is diagnosed by a medical or mental health professional, and is usually characterised by a significant impairment in social, occupation, or other important areas of functioning. Anxiety disorders are characterised by the following criteria:

  • Pervasive and consistent worry that is maintained over time
  • Persistent worry about several events or activities e.g. across. work, performance, relationships
  • Finding it difficult to control this worry
  • Restlessness, being on edge, irritable
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating or mind blanking
  • Muscle tension
  • Sleep disturbance: struggling to fall asleep and/or struggling to stay asleep

Read more about anxiety here or check-in with how you feel here.