Clear Psychiatry

What is anxiety? Symptoms, medication, and how to reduce anxiety immediately

Woman practicing mindfulness breathing exercises to help ease anxiety quickly.

Anxiety is a common mental health condition that can be confusing, overwhelming, and exhausting. This guide explains what it is, what it feels like, what causes it, and how to calm your mind quickly.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is our body's natural defence mechanism.

We all feel it from time to time when we worry that something bad might happen. It's a normal response to high-pressure or dangerous situations, where the body releases hormones that make us more alert, careful, or quick to react. We call this the fight, flight, or freeze response.

Sometimes the body releases these hormones even when there's no real danger, and this shows up as anxiety.

Close-up of hands demonstrating a pranayama breathing technique on a person's torso to help reduce anxiety quickly.

Common symptoms of anxiety

People experience anxiety in different ways. Common symptoms include:

  • Worrying a lot
  • Snapping at others
  • Feeling tired or restless
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • A faster heartbeat
  • Headaches
  • Stomach discomfort
  • Pins and needles

Many people frequently worry about small or harmless things, feel a sense of dread without knowing why, or avoid situations that make them anxious. Over time, this can become overwhelming and make school, work, relationships, and daily life harder. 

Woman practicing breathwork to help calm anxiety quickly.

What causes anxiety?

Everyone experiences anxiety for different reasons. Common causes include:

  • Trauma
  • A difficult upbringing
  • Money worries
  • Health problems
  • Bereavement
  • Pressure at work or school

Understanding your triggers can help you put healthy coping techniques in place sooner. 

How to reduce anxiety quickly

There are easy ways to calm anxiety in the moment:

  • Take slow, deep breaths - To signal safety to the body.
  • Sit with the feeling - Anxiety often passes on its own.
  • Focus on what you can control - Set boundaries around worrying.

Uncertainty can feel frightening, but the more we try to be certain, the more we dwell on our fears, and the more they affect our lives. Accepting uncertainty as part of being human can help stop anxiety from taking over.

Man sitting peacefully by window in contemplative pose with natural outdoor light

Intrusive thoughts and anxiety

Intrusive thoughts that don't match your values can be distressing, but they're common - and they're just thoughts. Thinking something doesn't make it true, and it doesn't mean you agree with it.

Gently challenging your fears or slowly exposing yourself to them can make them feel less powerful. Talking to someone you trust can also ease shame and help you feel less alone.

Lifestyle changes to reduce anxiety

Eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, being creative, and spending time in nature can support your wellbeing and make it easier to cope with overwhelm.

If you're regularly experiencing anxiety, you're not alone, and you're not "weak" or "failing". You're trying to cope in a modern world that often sets off our alarm systems unnecessarily.

(Top L-R) Dr Faheem Naqvi, Dr Francesca Ulett, and clinical nurse specialist Holly Ilginnis; (bottom L-R) Dr Pablo Perez, operations director Jessica Jones, and clinical nurse specialist Aniqah Shah, of Clear Psychiatry.
(Top L-R) Dr Faheem Naqvi, Dr Francesca Ulett, and clinical nurse specialist Holly Ilginnis; (bottom L-R) Dr Pablo Perez, operations director Jessica Jones, and clinical nurse specialist Aniqah Shah, of Clear Psychiatry.

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