Anxiety

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is our body’s natural protective response to danger or perceived threats. In many situations, anxiety can help keep us safe. However, when anxiety becomes persistent or excessive, it can begin to interfere with daily life and may develop into an anxiety disorder. There are several types of anxiety disorders, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, specific phobias, and Panic Disorder. In this article, we will focus on generalized anxiety disorder.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety can show up differently from person to person. One of the most common forms of anxiety is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (Nguyen et al., 2025). GAD is characterized by persistent, excessive, and difficult-to-control worry about everyday situations (Nguyen et al., 2025). However, anxiety involves more than constant worrying alone. Anxiety can also affect thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and daily functioning.

How Does Anxiety Impact Everyday Life?

A recent study found that Generalized Anxiety Disorder can significantly impact executive functioning, particularly in the areas of cognitive flexibility and working memory (Nguyen et al., 2025). But what does this mean?

Executive functioning refers to higher-level cognitive processes that help us regulate emotions, solve problems, complete tasks, learn, reason, perspective-take, and adapt to changing situations (Nguyen et al., 2025). These challenges can make social situations, work, school, and everyday responsibilities feel more difficult and overwhelming. Over time, feelings of overwhelm may lead individuals to avoid certain tasks or situations altogether, which can unintentionally reinforce the cycle of anxiety.

What Can You Do?

Although anxiety can feel overwhelming, it is manageable, and many supports and strategies can help individuals cope with anxiety more effectively.

Some helpful strategies include:

• Prioritizing rest and sleep — Worrying is tiring. Rest and sleep support brain functioning, helping the brain regulate emotions more effectively.

• Engaging in regular movement or physical activity — Exercise releases endorphins, which can naturally boost mood and reduce stress.

• Seeking professional support, such as counselling or therapy — Professional support can help individuals better understand and manage their anxiety.

How Does Counselling Help?

Counselling can help by:

• Increasing your understanding of anxiety and how it shows up for you

• Supporting you in identifying anxiety triggers

• Exploring and processing the root causes of anxiety

• Recognizing and challenging unhelpful thought patterns

• Developing healthy coping strategies

• Supporting nervous system regulation

• Helping you separate your identity from anxiety

• Boosting self-confidence and improving mood

• Providing a safe and non-judgmental space to talk openly about anxiety

If you are struggling with anxiety, know that there are supports available! Talk to a friend, your doctor or reach out to a mental health professional.

Written by: Marina Mandziuk, RCC

Date: May 15, 2026

References:

Nguyen, L., Walters, J., Hutchinson, E., Liu, Y., Li, X., & Gudmundsson, C. (2025). Executive functioning in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 389, 119683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.119683 

Disclaimer: Please note that the resources posted on this website do not substitute professional mental health services. The information posted is for educational purposes only.