Anxiety 101
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s that feeling of worry, fear, or nervousness that kicks in when you’re facing something uncertain or challenging. If you’re in a tough situation like speaking in front of a crowd or preparing for an exam, a little bit of anxiety can actually help you stay focused and motivated.
However, worry becomes a problem when it sticks around too long or happens too often. When it’s constant, intense, or hard to deal with, it can affect your daily life. Suddenly, things like school, work, or spending time with friends can feel overwhelming. You might avoid situations that make you anxious, procrastinate on school assignments, or struggle to sleep because you can’t stop all the thoughts.
The tricky thing about anxiety is that it doesn’t always make sense to those around you. You might feel worried and not know why. Your heart might pound even when you know you're not in real danger. This disconnect between what you feel and what you know can make anxiety frustrating and exhausting.
Think of anxiety as your brain’s built-in emergency alert system. Imagine you’re one of our ancient ancestors, and a predator suddenly appears. Your brain yells, “DANGER! DO SOMETHING!” Your heart races, your breathing speeds up, and your muscles prepare to fight, flee, or freeze. That alarm system kept people alive. Today’s “predators” might be exams, job interviews, awkward social situations, or big life decisions. Even though there isn’t any physical danger, your brain still hits that panic button, and you experience the same physical symptoms: a racing heart, tense muscles, and uneasy feelings.
Why Anxiety Feels So Intense for Teens and Young Adults
If you’re a teen or young adult dealing with anxiety, here’s why it feels so intense. Your brain is still under construction. The emotional part of your brain (the amygdala) develops faster than the part that helps you manage emotions and make rational decisions (the prefrontal cortex). This means big feelings like anxiety can make you feel overwhelmed and out of control.
When you add in school stress, friendship drama, dating confusion, family expectations, and the whole “What am I doing with my life?” question it becomes the perfect storm for anxiety.
How Anxiety Shows Up
Anxiety doesn’t look the same for everyone, but here are some common symptoms:
Physical: Racing heart, stomach in knots, headaches, muscle tension, shakiness
Emotional: Constant worry, irritability, feeling on edge, a sense of dread
Behavioral: Avoiding situations, procrastinating, needing constant reassurance, trouble sleeping
For parents: If your teen is withdrawn, irritable, or struggling with responsibilities, anxiety could be the cause.
There is Hope
Anxiety can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to control your life. Understanding why it happens is the first step toward managing it. It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s your brain trying to protect you it just goes a little bit overboard sometimes. By understanding how anxiety works and why it happens, you can take the first step toward managing it and finding ways to feel more in control. Whether you’re battling anxiety yourself or supporting someone through it, know you’re not alone. There’s hope and there’s help.
Watch for upcoming posts on coping, resilience, and seeking support.