Surprising facts about anxiety include our sense of smell and balance, our personal space, how we judge other people's faces and perceptions, and more.
Our anxiety can sometimes go overboard, but for good reason. .
When we feel anxious, this emotion tells us that we are in danger and we need to do something about it. It was our ancestors who were better prepared for winter and made plans to fight against neighboring tribes and worried about this, right? It does not seem possible for those who act comfortably while all this is happening to be successful.
However, the effects of our anxiety are not limited to motivation alone, it can leak into all kinds of areas from our minds.
1. Anxiety can literally make anything smell bad to us.
This is perhaps one of the most extraordinary facts we can learn about anxiety. As people become more anxious, they are more likely to attribute neutral odors as bad odors (Krusemark and Li, 2013). So, anxiety literally makes us believe that the world stinks. The reason is, Professor Wen Li said, “In the typical scent process, it is usually the olfactory system that is activated. When a person is anxious, the emotional system becomes part of the olfactory processing flow. ” Therefore, when people are more anxious, they may become better at distinguishing different bad odors.
2. Exercise reduces anxiety.
Generally, when people get even a little exercise, they feel less anxiety in their lives. Being active for as little as 20 minutes can make you feel calmer.
One study found that simply resting reduced anxiety but did not help protect against stressful events (Smith, 2013). ). That's exactly why regular exercise seems to have a more lasting effect that can help reduce anxiety when faced with stressful situations later on.
Indeed, many mental exercises, It can be given as a treatment for depression and anxiety instead of medications.
3. parent effect isi.
Like many things, high anxiety may be partly inherited from us genetically. However, another reason why anxious people are anxious is due to their parents' behavior
. Children are more likely to become anxious when their parents are directly critical of them, have high self-doubt, and are emotionally cold towards them (Budinger et al., 2012). Therefore, we can say that the family factor is quite effective on anxiety.
4. Think differently.
One of the best ways to reduce anxiety is to think about situations differently. For example; ''This is not an exam; Fun little experiment for me. This is not a scary presentation; a little chat with a few colleagues. This is not a job interview; It's a chance to meet new people.” Believe me, when you start repeating the sentences to yourself in this way, you will see that you can change many things in your life. Studies show that in most situations that anxious people encounter, people who manage to think differently feel less anxious in stressful social situations, instead of trying to suppress their anxiety (Llewellyn et al., 2013).
5. Anxious people can jump to conclusions more quickly.
One of the facts about anxiety is that very anxious people jump to conclusions about that person very quickly when evaluating the facial expressions of others
is that they can arrive. A study by Fraley et al. (2006) shows that anxious people may have problems in their relationships because they jump to conclusions about facial expressions.
6. Anxiety can affect balance.
People who experience severe anxiety often have problems with their balance. Sometimes they feel dizzy for no apparent reason and sway more than others when standing normally. This often begins in childhood, and because treating anxiety in children can be difficult, psychologists prefer to start by treating balance problems. Research also shows that the treatment of balance problems reduces anxiety. It has been shown that it can help (Bart et al. 2009).
7. Meditation can reduce anxiety.
In addition to exercise and different thinking, those who experience anxiety can also try meditation. Zeidan et al. (2013) found that four 20-minute meditation classes were sufficient to reduce anxiety by up to 39%.
8. Anxiety can expand personal space.
We all have an invisible space around us that we create for people we don't like. It is usually around 20-40 cm in front of our face, which can make us feel weird if others approach us without our permission from this distance. However, researchers have found that one of the facts about anxiety is that their personal space is larger for anxious people (Sambo and Iannetti, 2013). Therefore, do not get too close to anxious people, their “safety distance” may widen and they may not want to let you into this safe zone.
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