Tanya is a college math professor who has a very “type A” personality. She likes to stay ahead of schedule, organizing her life around her syllabus, and she always has a backup plan for the unexpected. 

About halfway through the semester, as students start missing class, cold and flu bugs start to go around, and her plans inevitably need to shift, Tanya’s stress level skyrockets, and her body feels the impact. 

She starts to have constipation and acid reflux, almost like clockwork, which limits the foods she can eat and throws off her meal planning routines. Sometimes she catches a cold that knocks her off her feet for a few days, and sometimes it turns into a nasty sinus infection. 

Tanya doesn’t really like to think about things that are beyond her control. When she starts having stomach aches or sniffles, she powers through them and denies that there’s a problem for as long as possible. All the while, she’s feeling more and more stressed — and it always catches up with her. Can you relate?

By working with a therapist, Tanya comes to realize that her need for control is anxiety in disguise. After some health scares, she learns how important it is to listen to her body and take steps to manage her stress level before she starts spiraling. After a grueling spring semester, she decides to dedicate her summer to working through her anxiety and signs up for a Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP).

The mind-body connection is real. If you have untreated anxiety, there’s a good chance your body will start to signal that something’s wrong. When you listen to those signals, you can start practicing self-care and find appropriate treatment. 

The following are seven common physical signs of anxiety you shouldn’t ignore:

• Persistent digestive issues 

Some foods may trigger indigestion more than others. If you notice your tolerance for certain foods is lower than usual, or if you start to have more symptoms with no explanation, it could be a sign of anxiety.

• Sleep disturbances 

Anxiety can cause a state of hyperarousal that’s associated with your fight-or-flight response. Your body releases stress hormones to keep you aware so you can stay safe. Rather than being concerned with maintenance activities like sleep, your body is in survival mode. 

• Muscle tension and pain 

One of the most telltale physical signs of anxiety is chronic tension. People carry it in different places. For you, it might be your neck and shoulders, your jaw, or even your hips. Over time, tension often turns into sore muscles, and it can aggravate pain from old injuries or other conditions, such as arthritis.

• Racing heart or chest tightness 

Anxiety can make your heart beat faster, and it changes the way your blood circulates. If you don’t know you’re having an anxiety attack, it’s easy to think you’re having a heart attack or another acute emergency. This can fuel the anxiety and make it worse.

• Shortness of breath 

You may notice more shallow breathing or start to hyperventilate when anxiety spikes. You can consciously decide to slow it down by taking deeper breaths from your diaphragm and taking longer exhales. This tells your brain and body that you’re OK and you can relax.

• Excessive sweating or cold hands 

Sweating and clammy hands are normal responses to anxiety. If you have an anxiety disorder, you may be more prone to anxious sweating than the average person. 

• Fatigue and low energy 

All of these anxiety responses take up a lot of energy, which may leave you feeling exhausted. Between periods of high anxiety, you might be more likely to experience symptoms of depression, such as low energy, changes in sleep and appetite, and feelings of hopelessness.

How to address the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety with Lightfully

Oftentimes, physical anxiety symptoms are overlooked because people attribute them to physical conditions or other outside factors. Your body speaks the language of anxiety before your mind can find the words. The physical stress can, in fact, weaken your immune system. 

Learning to recognize these physical signals creates an opportunity for early intervention and healing. If you’re noticing physical anxiety symptoms, it’s a good idea to discuss them with your doctor or a mental health professional.

At Lightfully, we provide holistic and comprehensive mental health treatments that address both the physical and mental components of anxiety. We offer a Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP) that makes treatment more accessible for people who have severe anxiety. 

Attending treatment remotely allows you to take things at a slower pace and avoid triggers that may keep you from getting the help you need. As you make progress, you can plan activities during treatment sessions so you can work with your therapist on challenging situations in real time. For example, you might go to a store or another public place with your therapist coaching you on a video call as you navigate potential anxiety-triggering situations. 

Are you considering treatment programs for your anxiety? We can help you work through the root causes of your anxiety and find coping skills that help you manage your symptoms.

Contact us with questions about treatment or reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team to get started.