Everyone Feels Restless
Everyone feels restless, anxious, or distressed from time to time. But it is not always easy to name these feelings. Should we say “I am afraid”, “I am anxious” or “I have anxiety”? Although they may sound similar, these feelings are actually quite different.
It is very common for people to have difficulty identifying their emotions. Not only in everyday conversations, but also in therapy rooms. Not knowing exactly what we are feeling makes it difficult to express ourselves and get support. In this article, we will try to explain the differences between worry, fear, anxiety, and concern in simple but effective language. Recognizing our emotions correctly allows us to build a healthier relationship with them.
Shadows of Uncertainty
Let’s start with fear. Fear is a basic emotion we are born with. It protects us from danger.
If the threat is clearly in front of us, for example a car speeding towards us, our brain automatically raises an alarm. This alarm puts the body into a “fight or flight” state. Our muscles tense, our heart speeds up, our attention sharpens. Because there is a concrete and real danger.
Anxiety is a little different. Nothing has happened yet, but there is a possibility that it might happen. Even this possibility creates a perception of threat in our minds. For example, thoughts like “What if my job interview goes badly?” or “What if something happens to my child?” make us anxious. Our body is again on high alert, but this time there is no clear danger, only possibilities.
Anxiety is not exactly a negative emotion. On the contrary, it helps us organize our lives. It pushes us to be prepared, to take precautions. But it needs to be kept in moderation.
If anxiety is too frequent, too intense, or out of our control, it starts to strain us. This is where clinical anxiety comes in. Anxiety is a higher dimension of stress. It has reached a clinical level. It is no longer just a “precaution” but a problem that interrupts daily life. The person feels constantly restless, has difficulty focusing, and experiences physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, and stomach pain.
The Role of Uncertainty
So, what causes anxiety to grow so much?
The answer is actually hidden in uncertainty. Intolerance of uncertainty is the main food source of anxiety. Not knowing what will happen when, not being able to control events is challenging for the human mind. Intolerance of uncertainty is the basis of both anxiety and worry.
Unknowable, unpredictable situations are very disturbing for the human mind. Because not knowing what will happen when and what will happen, not being able to control events, leads people into a state of inner restlessness.
When we question, what is the biggest uncertainty in life?
Let’s think… There is a single threat that we know is certain but has not yet materialized. Everyone is aware of this threat, everyone knows it will happen one day, and yet most of us try to avoid it. You’ve probably guessed the answer: death.
Death is perhaps the most inevitable yet uncertain fact of life. We don’t know when it will happen. We don’t know who we will meet and how. All we know is that sooner or later we will all face it. But despite being so clear and certain, our feelings about death are often blended with uncertainty. This is why death can be a source of deep and persistent anxiety for some people.
The Cycle of Anxiety and Worry
Even before an event happens, we may think about it over and over again, worrying “what if?”. This can lead to inaction and burnout. This is where worry comes in. Worry is a mental cycle. Spinning a negative scenario over and over in our heads, thinking about it repeatedly without producing a solution is a state of worry.
If these thoughts don’t translate into action, it just exhausts our minds. Thinking about the same things over and over again, but not taking any action, feeds the anxiety even more.
If we develop an awareness of this point, we can change our lives:
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We cannot control everything.
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There are uncertainties in life.
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But despite these uncertainties, we can live, thrive, and cope with our feelings.
Understanding What We Feel
Fear, anxiety, and worry are three different but related emotions. Fear is our natural reaction to concrete and imminent threats. Anxiety helps us to be prepared for possible threats. Clinical anxiety, on the other hand, is when this preparedness becomes excessive and reaches a level that reduces our quality of life.
Recognizing these feelings, naming them, and making sense of them improves our quality of life. Especially our attitude towards uncertainty plays a major role in the management of these emotions. Life does not always go as we plan. But learning to recognize and deal with our emotions gives us inner strength in the face of situations we cannot control.
Let’s not forget: emotions are not enemies, but companions. The better we recognize them, the healthier we will be.