Feeling anxious is a natural reaction to some situations. It is something that everyone experiences from time to time. If feelings of anxiety become overwhelming, constant and affect your daily life, there are things you can try to help you cope and organisations to support you.

• Mindline Somerset are available 24/7 on 01823 276892
• Find an NHS improving access to psychological therapies service (IAPT) if you are aged over 18
• Download a self-help leaflet from NHS
• Read about generalised anxiety disorder in adults (GAD)
• Get help and advice from Anxiety UK
• Mind UK explains anxiety and panic attacks

Resources for young people:

• Young Somerset offer advice and help for mental wellbeing
• A Young Minds guide to anxiety 
• Kooth online mental wellbeing community
• Mind in Somerset has walking and talking groups for young people aged 11 to 18 years or call Mindline on 01823 276892
• The Children's Society has ways to cope with anxiety for young people 

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, fear or unease about a situation. It usually passes once the situation is over. Your behaviour may change when you feel anxious, worry or fear. You may become overally cautious or avoid things that trigger anxiety.

You may:

• feel tired, on edge, restless or irritable
• feel a sense of dread
• be unable to concentrate or make decisions
• have trouble sleeping
• feel sick, dizzy, sweaty or short of breath
• be shaky or trembly
• get headaches or tummy aches
• avoid situations or put off doing things you are worried about
• have difficulty falling or staying asleep
• experience a noticeably strong, fast or irregular heartbeat
• have pins and needles
• a dry mouth
• sweat excessively
• repeatedly check things or seek assurance from others

• Understand what is causing your anxiety by keeping a journal of how you feel at different times
• Change your focus away from the thing that makes you feel stressed or anxious
• Try relaxation or mindfulness techniques to reduce tension and help you to relax
• Make time to go through your worries or concerns every day for a set amout of time and then focus on other things
• Challenge your thoughts to help you feel less anxious
• Face the things that make you feel anxious and overtime, reduce your feelings of anxiety and build your resilience
• Look at the bigger picture and stop looking at the details
• Think about your situation from someone else's view and come up with a plan
• Get your mind plan by taking the every mind matters quiz

Anxiety is our body's natural response to perceived danger. It gets us to be alert and focus our attention on the situation. It is sometimes referred to as the 'fight, flight or freeze' response to perceived danger.

People react differently to stressful situations. It can be difficult to recognise what makes your feel anxious. Learning to recognise what makes you feel anxious can help you deal with it. You may feel stressful or anxious because of what is happening in your life, such as:

• starting college, university or a new job
• personal relationships
• money problems
• work situations
• moving house
• health conditions 
• gambling
• having a baby
• caring for someone
• bereavement

Smoking, drinking and using drugs can contribute to feelings of anxiety or stress.