Today Iâm going to talk about anxiety, how it affects women vs men, the potential causes, and some solutions to help you or anyone you know who has feelings of anxiety.
And yes, Iâm one of those people that deal with anxiety for many years and itâs probably one reason I rarely do face videos.
Itâs been estimated that about a third of adults, thatâs about 33% of people, experience anxiety disorders at various times in their lives. In fact, itâs the most common class of âmental disordersâ – which I personally think is a horrible label because itâs not a mental disorder.
Whatâs interesting is that YOUNGER people, especially teenagers feel even more anxiety.
Whatâs super interesting is that women feel anxiety at twice the rate of men, thatâs 2x more.
So, why do so many people feel so much anxiety?
Why does it affect teenagers even more?
Lastly, why do women feel more anxiety than men?
Before I start, is the cause nature or nurture? Do you think itâs mostly genetics or how you were raised?
What’s The Cause Of Anxiety?
Well, the truth is that about 50% is genetics. Some people just have more anxiety than others and youâll hear parents saying that about their children at an early age.
So yes, genetics plays a big role in anxiety⊠In fact, genetics plays a big role in everything.
However, your life experiences also play the other 50%.
Now, if you have the genetics to have more anxiety than someone else ⊠AND youâve had a lot of trauma in your life⊠AND youâre a woman⊠Well, then youâve got higher odds of having more anxiety.
But you know, who cares?
Just because of your genetics or life, does NOT mean that you have to label yourself as an anxious person.
By the way, there is a very fine line between anxiety and excitement – they both feel the same.
You see, anxiety tends to happen because of what you focus on in the future.
Depression can be linked to what you focused on in the past.
Yes, Iâm making generalities⊠but you get the point.
People who have feelings of anxiety usually start to think about âwhat if something bad happensâ and thus, a negative future outcome.
So, negative âwhat ifâsâŠâ about the future will cause you to see a negative outcome and all of this will negative changes in your hormones, neurotransmitters, heart rate, blood pressure and so forth – all causing and increasing feelings of anxiety.
Thus, what you focus on expands. This is a very important concept to remember.
Why Do Teenagers or Women Have More Anxiety?
Well, one reason for this is due to hormones and more specifically, hormonal fluctuations.
Yes, the kind you have when going through puberty.
And yes, what women go through each month because of their menstrual cycles.
By the way, guys with low testosterone have more anxiety than guys with high testosterone.
So yes, hormones play a big role and thatâs because hormones also affect important neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.
Now coming back to what I had said earlier regarding men vs women.
- Women tend to cry more when they are dealing with anxiety. They also express and verbalize their emotions to their girlfriends or a therapist.
- Men tend to get angry to let out their anxiety â bottling it up, instead of speaking about it. Their anxiety builds, especially if a man doesnât express emotions, and it can lead to explosive anger.
What Else Plays A Major Role In Anxiety?…
Diet is big factor.
Eating junk food, processed foods, and lots of sugars and carbohydrates can all cause negative hormonal changes and thus, cause anxiety.
In fact, one of the best diets for people who have extreme anxiety or even depression is a true ketogenic diet or a lower-carb diet.
Again, a change in hormones due to insulin, ketones, cortisol, adrenalin, and so forth.
Exercise is always important because first, you get the anxiety out of your body, and second, a positive change in your hormones.
Your gut bacteria plays a MASSIVE role in your mood. Most of the âfeel goodâ serotonin is produced in your gut. So, having healthy probiotics is very important. In fact, there are 3 specific stains to are scientifically researched to work.
Proper breathing is very important. When you feel anxiety, exhale longer than you inhale. For example, you take a deep breath for 3 seconds, then slowly exhale for 6 seconds.
Thereâs a specific 4-7-8 breathing method thatâs awesome.
Proper sleep is crucial because the lack of it reduces melatonin production, increases stress hormones, and decreases sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen â all of which will most definitely trigger more anxiety.
You Don’t Have To Label Yourself As Anxious Person
Iâll end todayâs topic by saying that just because youâre prone to having anxiety, doesnât mean you .have to label yourself as an anxious person.
Yes, genetics, hormones, age, sex, upbringing, and lifestyle all play a big role and most of this, YOU do have control over.
Remember, what you focus on expands.
You need to strengthen your âpositive attitudeâ and âgratefulâ muscles – which you do have control over. You just need to use them more often.
People who have a lot of anxiety quickly go to a bad place.
I personally had to train myself to stop and then go to a more positive place.
Instead of saying âwhat if something bad happensâŠâ I focused on âwhat if something good happensâ.
It took time until it became a habit.
There are a few important ways for reducing "negative emotions" - diet, exercise and "mental outlook" being important factors.
Unfortunately, they take time and most people are either NOT patient or need faster results, with less effort...
On the other hand, prescription drugs work "fast", but they're addictive and have lots of negative side effects.
This is the exact problem I ran into with myself. Because of this, I needed to find something that's natural, easy & works quickly.
Well, the good news is that now you can achieve your "mood enhancing" goals with ONE simple solution that's easy, convenient & requires NO lifestyle changes...