What Is Situational Anxiety? Red Flags and What You Can Do

Imagine you wake up one morning to find a bear outside your house. OMG 😱 a bear!!!

You have to go to work, but how?!

This bear means business, and it growls every time you peek out the window - ready to eat you up.

You start feeling dizzy, your heart beats fast, and you can't help but rock a bit from side to side, trying to figure out what to do. All you can think about is the danger of the bear eating you for breakfast. 

Sooo ok; unless you're living deep in the wilderness, you probably don’t have this problem on a daily basis. But, you probably have a bear ot two in your mind without realizing it.

When you go through stressful situations, you probably feel your heart rate rise. For instance, when a deadline approaches and you aren't prepared. This is because your brain, though highly evolved, doesn't differentiate between real-world dangers and threats that are in your head. All dangers seem equally real to it. 

And that, my friends, is the reason that anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems experienced globally today. In this article, we’ll dive into situational anxiety. 

In the same way that an actual bear threatens you, deadlines, appointments, stressful interactions, and many other situations can have the same impact on you. Whatever threat you face, your body's reaction is always the same: anxiety.

The alarm system served as a defense against bear attacks when cavemen were around, but nowadays it's on all the time because threats are constantly in your mind.

What Is Situational Anxiety?

[define: situational anxiety]

Situational anxiety is a normal reaction, often the result of unexpected or shocking events, which creates difficulties or undue concern about how they might negatively affect your life. It's important to note that it is often related to a sense of feeling out of control. Situational anxiety can affect your daily life, disrupting your routine and impairing sleep, exercise, studies, work, and social life.

Any situation can cause anxiety: losing a job, being abandoned by a partner, contracting a disease, traveling by plane, or even riding in an elevator. Thus, if you have a low tolerance for discomfort, you may interpret certain situations that are generally considered simple as terrifying, triggering your anxiety.

Situational anxiety is a natural defense mechanism your brain has when it senses something around you that is frightening enough to trigger it, similar to what would happen if you saw a bear. Because of this, the more things you perceive as a threat, the more your anxiety will show up.

Common Triggers of Situational Anxiety

A variety of events can generate situational anxiety, some of which you have no control over (like natural disasters or a Pandemic) and others over which you do have power. 

These are generally "dangers" you anticipate since often they do not even materialize. For example, suppose you are a perfectionist. In that case, you can feel an exaggerated and irrational fear of losing your job, even when everything indicates that this is unlikely to happen (you received congratulations from the boss or financial rewards). 

Common triggers of situational anxiety include:

• Natural disasters (hurricanes, mudslides, wildfires)

• Health crises

• Job interview

• New job

• Leading a team

• Talking with strangers

• A first date

• Phobia

• Leaving home

• Public speaking

• Socializing at a party (or making small talk)

• Visiting a new place

• Bullying

• Sudden death or loss

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Situational anxiety is a type of anxiety that as a response to a specific situation, it manifests in a variety of ways. Depending on the situation, you may experience the following situation anxiety symptoms:

• Irritability

• Muscle tension

• Concentration problems

• Dry mouth

• Feeling dizzy

• Rapid breathing and increased heart rate

• Nausea

• Diarrhea

• Nervousness

• Headache

• Trembling or restlessness

• Excessive sweating

• Panic attack

In addition, you may experience symptoms like feelings of worry, difficulty sleeping, and panic.

Situational anxiety is distinguished from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and other anxiety disorders in that only specific circumstances trigger situational anxiety, while GAD involves a constant state of worry.

Situational Anxiety Treatment

When you feel anxious about any triggering event, what can you do? It may seem useless to you, but practicing acceptance is a great way to cope with situational anxiety. The key is accepting yourself unconditionally, which means accepting even your anxiety. This negative emotion, although unhealthy, is part of you, just like when you have a migraine. By accepting it, you can reduce it a lot.

Additionally, you can also try to put things into perspective. Whatever situation you're facing or are anxious about, you must evaluate it rationally. Doing so will minimize anxiety because you’ll probably be aware that things aren’t as bad as you thought.

Mindfulness meditation is a proven way to help you put your situational anxiety into perspective. Previously, we discussed the benefits of mindfulness when using addictive apps. Regularly practicing mindfulness exercises has physical and mental benefits. Besides reducing anxiety, stress, and depression also helps with sleep disorders, eating disorders, and self-esteem issues. Adults and kids of all ages can benefit from this practice. One simple exercise I recommend to my clients is to focus on their breathing. Focus as long as you can on your breathing. Within a few minutes, you should notice a decrease in heart rate and a clearer mind.

If the above measures aren't enough to ease situational anxiety, enlist the help of a professional. You should speak with a mental health professional who can conduct a thorough evaluation and suggest a treatment plan for you. Anxiety can be treated with different techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, individual psychotherapy, family or group therapy, and medication. There are medications that can help patients relax and relieve anxiety.

The bottom line is this: at some point or another, we all face difficult situations in our communities and around the world. By recognizing your specific concerns and the common symptoms of situational anxiety, you can not only cope with anxiety better today but lay the foundation for preventing and managing anxiety in the future.