We will cover what anxiety is, some of the reasons individuals feel anxious and finally some ways to understand and deal with anxiety. All of us experience at least some anxiety at one time or another. Anxiety is usually experienced as a tense, tight or fluttery feeling. Anxiety is also sometimes described as butterflies in the stomach. Other signs of anxiety include sweaty palms, heavy perspiration and breathing, a tight chest, feeling like there's a heavy weight on your chest, or dry mouth.
Anxiety can be a symptom of an underlying concern, worry, or fear.
For example, many people experience anxiety before giving a speech, or in a controversial discussion, or on a first date. A person might also become anxious before asking for something important such as a raise, a promotion, going steady or getting engaged. In these examples of anxiety producing situations, anxiety is caused by taking a personal risk, wanting to be accepted, or wanting to be well-received. I wonder if I'm being rejected, I wonder if I'll be accepted, I wonder if I'm wrong in my opinion, I'm worried I'm not wanted or not really liked by these people I care about. These are examples of relatively normal situations in which most of us would experience anxiety from time to time.