Always anxious? These are the causes and solutions for you
Maybe this sounds familiar. You’re just sitting at home, nothing’s wrong, and suddenly that familiar anxious restlessness strikes. Your heart starts racing, your breathing becomes shallow, and that unpleasant tension creeps through your entire body. Why is this happening again? Nothing has happened at all, has it?
You're not crazy and you're certainly not the only one. In fact, one in three people in the Netherlands recognize this feeling. That's nearly six million people who know what it's like to be suddenly overwhelmed by fear, without being able to say exactly why.
Now you may come across figures that some 20 percent of Dutch people between the ages of 18 and 75 live with, or have suffered from, generalized anxiety disorder ( 1). That sounds very official and medical, but what does it really mean? It means that you worry about all sorts of things, even though your mind tells you that there is no immediate danger. It mostly affects people between the ages of 50 and 60, but frankly, I see it more and more in younger people.
The interesting thing is that you're probably thinking, "I have anxiety. But that's not quite true. You don't have fear, like you have a cup of coffee or you have a house. You do fear. That may sound crazy, but it makes a difference. Because if you do it, you can also do something else.
I get that this may not quite be coming in at the moment. It makes sense, because when you're in the middle of that fear, it feels like it's happening to you. Like there's nothing you can do about it. But nothing could be further from the truth. You can indeed do something about it, and I'm going to show you.
How come you suddenly do anxiety?
Imagine this: you're sitting quietly on the couch, literally nothing is happening, and yet suddenly your body begins to react as if a lion were standing in front of you. Crazy, right? But something is definitely going on, even if you can't see it right away.
When anxiety is useful and when it is not
Let's go back for a moment to the days when we were hunters and gatherers. Then fear was your best friend. See a bear? Fear! Your heart races, your muscles tighten, your breathing skyrockets and you run away. Perfect system. Within an hour or an hour and a half you are calm again when the bear is gone.
But what if there isn’t a bear at all? Then you’re dealing with chronic anxiety. Your body just keeps reacting as if the danger is still there. It’s like your car alarm going off all night long even though no one is messing with your car. It’s exhausting.
What happens in your head when you do anxiety
Your brain is quite complex, but three parts do most of the work when it comes to anxiety: your amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. Think of your amygdala as an overzealous security guard.
That amygdala of yours scans all day long: "Danger? No danger? Danger? No danger?" If you do a lot of anxiety, that security guard is constantly on edge. Your hippocampus stores all those unpleasant memories neatly, and your prefrontal cortex should actually be saying, "Calm down, nothing's wrong" with the help of GABA, a calming substance.
Only in people who do a lot of anxiety does that whole system become unbalanced. Too much glutamate (which fires you up) and not enough GABA (which calms you down). It's like your gas pedal is stuck and your brake doesn't work ( 2).
Why you still do anxiety when there is 'nothing'
This is where it gets interesting. You see, your brain is much faster than you think. Sometimes it has already decided there is danger before you even know it. That happens through your limbic system. The part that regulates your instincts.
When I was still working in construction, I knew a guy who suddenly couldn’t climb ladders anymore. I had no idea why. It turned out later that he had nearly fallen off a ladder a few weeks earlier, but he hadn’t given it much thought. His brain, however, had.
Maybe it's in your genes, too. Some people are just more predisposed to react to things with fear. Just as some people tan more easily than others.
In addition, physical things can play tricks on you quite a bit. Too much coffee, not enough sleep, hormones getting mixed up. It can all contribute to that anxious feeling. And old events? They can surface years later without you making the connection. That's just how our brains work.
But here's the good news: If you do it, you can learn to do something else, too.
How does this fear-doing affect your daily life?
When you are constantly doing anxiety, there are consequences. Big consequences, to be exact. It eats away at your energy, it affects your relationships and it can even determine what choices you do and don't make. At work, things go wrong ...
Imagine this: you're in a meeting and your boss asks if you want to give that presentation next week. Your heart skips a beat, your mouth goes dry and you feel that familiar tension rising. Before you know it, you hear yourself saying, "Um, I think Marc can do that better."
This repeats itself. Over and over again. And before you know it, you see colleagues who have less experience than you getting those promotions. Not because they are better, but because they are not busy doing fear when opportunities arise.
As a result, some people don't even reach the level of education that matches their intelligence. Or they take on work that is actually below their level, simply because it feels "safe. Do you recognize this? If so, you are doing anxiety in a way that is holding back your career ( 3).
Getting complicated at home
Your partner doesn't always get it. "What are you afraid of?" they might ask. But how do you explain that you're busy doing fears about things that aren't even there yet? Or about situations that might happen, might not happen?
That tension between you is felt by children as well. Children are radar detectors for this kind of thing. They hear it in your voice, see it in your attitude. Some kids then start acting extra sweet, as if they can solve your problems. Other kids will actually start acting up, because at least that gets them clear attention.
The weird thing is: the more you do anxiety about your relationships, the more you put pressure on those relationships. It becomes a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy ( 4).
You're going to avoid more and more
This is where it often starts very small. You don't go to that birthday party because you don't feel well. You don't answer that phone because you don't feel like talking for a while. You cancel that appointment because traffic might be heavy.
Canceling once is not a problem. But when this becomes a pattern, you're actually making your world smaller and smaller. You withdraw, you avoid situations, and before you know it, you have become a prisoner of your own fear-doing.
The annoying thing is that avoidance is short-lived. True, you feel relieved when you stay home instead of going to that party. But the next time it will only make it harder to do go. And even harder the time after that ( 5).
Sometimes people then reach for booze or pills to take away those feelings of anxiety. That seems to help, but actually you only make the problem worse. You don't teach yourself to deal with those feelings differently; you just numb them.
But here's the good news: If you're the one doing all this, you're also the one who can change it.
What actually triggers that anxiety feeling?
You now know that you’re the one doing it, but what exactly sets that process in motion? After all, you don’t just suddenly start feeling anxious without something triggering it. It’s just like driving a car—you don’t just step on the gas without turning the key first.
What you unconsciously say to yourself
The crazy thing is that only 5% of what we do is done consciously. That other 95% is just running on autopilot. Imagine you have a computer running all kinds of programs that you don't even know about. That's how your brain works, too. Programs are running that decide how you feel, without your conscious awareness.
Those programs often stem from what you experienced in the past. Maybe you were laughed at as a child when you read something aloud. Now, thirty years later, you still get nervous at presentations. Logical? Not really. But your unconscious brain is still running that old program: "presentation is dangerous.
Your amygdala, that alarm thingy in your head, scans all day long to see if everything is safe. Does it see anything resembling that old "dangerous" situation? Alarm! And there goes your heart again. While nothing at all is going on.
Your body is participating too
Did you know that drinking coffee literally triggers a stress response in your body? Caffeine causes your body to produce adrenaline. That's fine for some people, but if you're already prone to anxiety, that one cup of coffee can push you over the edge. Your heart speeds up, you get sweaty and nervous. Those are exactly the symptoms that amplify your anxiety.
Sleep is another factor that people often overlook. Lack of sleep destroys your emotion regulation. It's like trying to walk on one leg, of course you feel shaky. In fact, research indicates that poor sleep quality is a very powerful predictor of developing anxiety ( 6).
Old pain working through
Then you have those deeper layers. Traumatic experiences sometimes work their way through for years, even if you think you're over it. Not everyone who experiences something nasty gets PTSD; it depends on many factors. But what can happen is that your body stays in a kind of permanent alarm mode ( 7).
You constantly feel as if something could happen at any moment. That chronic tension causes headaches, tense muscles, and heart palpitations. These are all things that fuel your anxiety. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle.
The interesting thing is that many people don't even realize this is all connected. They feel anxious and think it "just happens. But there is always something starting it up, even if you don't see it yourself right away.
How do you take ownership of that anxious feeling?
Now that you know you're doing it instead of having it, space is created. Space to start doing something different. Because that is the power of ownership: once you realize that you are the one doing fear, you can also learn to do something else.
Start with your body
Your body doesn't know there is no real danger. When you do fear, your body reacts as if something is really wrong. So start there. Start moving. Not because it's so healthy or because you're supposed to, but because it works. Stress hormones your body produces during those anxious moments disappear faster when you move.
Doesn't have to be complicated. Walk around the block. Do a few knee bends. Go up and down the stairs. Your brain then has to focus on the movement and has less room for all those anxious thoughts.
For those moments when you can't escape, think of a meeting where you can't just get up and run, you have your breathing. When you do anxiety, you breathe shallowly, which only amplifies the feeling. Do this:
- Put your hand on your belly
- Breathe in slowly through your nose (count to 5)
- Exhale slowly through your mouth (count to 7)
For the longer term
Cognitive behavioral therapy works well for anxiety symptoms. Not because it has such a fancy name, but because it teaches you to look at situations differently. You learn that those thoughts you have about danger are often just thoughts and not facts.
There are also other forms, such as EMDR for when trauma is behind it, or ACT where you learn to allow rather than push away your feelings. The important thing is that you find what works for you.
One method that is gaining increasing recognition for anxiety symptoms is hypnotherapy. Whereas cognitive therapy focuses primarily on your conscious thoughts, hypnotherapy works with your unconscious patterns.
Right where fear arises. In a hypnotic state, similar to deep relaxation or focus, you can reprogram old automatic responses. It helps your brain learn to recognize, as it were, the difference between real danger and old learned danger.
Scientific research shows that hypnotherapy can lower the stress hormone cortisol ( 8). As a result, people experience more inner peace, better sleep and more control over their body signals. Often, after just a few sessions you notice that those anxious peak reactions are less likely to occur - and if they do occur, that you no longer get lost in them, but can look at them with distance.
Embracing it Now
Mindfulness may sound a bit vague, but it’s actually about something very simple: being in the present moment. When you practice mindfulness exercises, you train your brain to be less swept away by anxious thoughts.
Try this exercise if you find yourself getting back into that anxiety spiral. Name five things you see, four things you can touch, three things you hear, two things you smell and one thing you taste. It brings you back to what is really there, rather than what you think is there.
You don't have to do it alone
Talk about it. Seriously. With people you trust. It’s not a sign of weakness—it’s actually very brave. When you voice your fear, it often loses some of its power. Plus, you’ll feel less alone.
Peer contact can also be valuable. People who know what it feels like to be suddenly overwhelmed by anxiety understand you in a way that others may not be able to. Through organizations such as the ADF Foundation, you can meet other people who have the same experience. It's not therapy, just a place where you can be as you are.
Remember: you do it all. And because you do it, you can do something else, too.
What will you do with it now?
Here we are. You now know that anxiety is not something you have, but something you do. And that makes a difference, because if you do it, you can do something else.
Now you may be thinking, "Yes, that all sounds very nice, but how do I do it? I get that. It's one thing to understand that you do fear, but quite another thing to apply that to yourself. Especially if you've been in those patterns for years.
But here's the beauty: you don't have to do it alone. There are breathing exercises that work immediately. There are therapists who can help you. There are mindfulness techniques that will give you peace of mind. There are people around you who want to support you, even if sometimes it seems like no one understands.
It starts with that one step. That one time when you think, 'Okay, I'm doing fear now. What could I do differently?' It may be when you start breathing, moving, or just walking outside. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you do something.
Because you know what it is? You are the only one who can take ownership of your feelings. No one else can do that for you. Not your partner, not your therapist, not your best friend. Only you. And that's actually very hopeful, because it means you also have the power to change it.
So where do you start? Just start. Start with one breath. Start with one walk. Start by realizing that you are doing it, and therefore you can do something else. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to be instantaneous. You don't have to feel guilty about it, either. You just start, and that's more than enough.
Key Takeaways
Anxiety for no apparent reason affects one in three Dutch people and almost always has an underlying cause, even if it is not immediately apparent.
- Anxiety always has a cause: Even "unexplained" anxiety arises from unconscious thoughts, physical factors or unprocessed experiences
- Avoidance behavior reinforces anxiety: Situations avoidance gives brief relief, but creates a vicious cycle of increasing anxiety
- Instant help works: Breathing techniques, exercise and mindfulness provide immediate relief during anxious moments
- Professional help is effective: Cognitive behavioral therapy and other forms of therapy help long-term overcoming anxiety symptoms
- You are not alone: Seeking support from loved ones, peers or professionals is a sign of courage, not weakness
Anxiety is not who you are, but something you experience. With the right approach and support, you can learn to deal with these feelings and take steps toward a life where anxiety is no longer the main focus.
FAQs
Q1. Why do I sometimes experience anxiety for no apparent reason? Fear for no apparent reason often has a cause anyway, such as unconscious thoughts, physical factors or unprocessed experiences. Your brain can sometimes register danger before you are aware of it, leading to feeling anxious for no apparent reason.
Q2. How does unexplained anxiety affect my daily life? Unexplained anxiety can have a major impact on your work, relationships and social life. It can lead to avoidance behavior, isolation and even problems in your career or family life. In addition, dealing with constant anxiety takes a lot of energy, which can result in overexertion symptoms.
Q3. What role does the brain play in anxiety reactions? The brain plays a crucial role in fear responses. The amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex make up the "fear circuitry. In people with anxiety symptoms, the amygdala is often overactive, while there is an imbalance in messenger substances such as glutamate and GABA.
Q4. What are effective ways to deal with unexplained anxiety? There are several effective methods for dealing with unexplained anxiety. Immediate relief can be found in exercise and breathing techniques. For long-term results, forms of therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness exercises and seeking support from loved ones or peers are valuable.
Q5. Can an anxious feeling for no reason be overcome? Yes, feeling anxious for no apparent reason can be overcome. With the right approach, such as therapy, mindfulness and learning coping strategies, you can learn to cope with these feelings. It is important to remember that anxiety does not define your identity and that there are effective methods to deal with it.
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Sources:
1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-010-0334-8
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278584607004137
3. https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1240&context=bjur
4. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.22048
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796717300712
6. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07420528.2024.2429661
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X16302081
8. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ch.314