When I was asked to write this article, my heart began to beat faster, my hands began to shake, and my mind raced, coming up with hundreds of objectively reasonable reasons why I couldn’t do it.I can tell you that as chief deputy editor new scientists I often don’t get a chance to write. But the truth is I rarely write because I feel so anxious about it. What if the person I contact doesn’t respond? What if I write something stupid? What if I’m a fool? If, if, if.
Obviously, I chose to write this article partly because I’m stubborn and hate when these anxious feelings prevent me from doing things I might enjoy, and partly because I’ve found that doing the things that make me anxious helps me overcome these feelings (see “Five scientific ways to help reduce anxiety”). But my main motivation is to answer a question that has troubled me for years: What exactly is anxiety? What is happening in my body and brain that causes this feeling?
Answering the first question is difficult, partly because there is no one way to feel anxious. “I would say there are as many kinds of anxieties as there are people in the world,” he said oliver robinsonDirector of the Anxiety Laboratory at University College London.
We do know that everyone experiences anxiety – it helps us prepare for potentially dangerous situations. Imagine walking home alone in the dark…
