Anxiety is an emotional state often causing feelings of uneasiness, worry, fear, or nervousness, and physical symptoms like increased heart rate, muscle tension, and restlessness.
Tips & Links
Some people experience extreme or chronic anxiety that can impact their daily lives requiring treatment and care. While others experience situations that make them feel anxious and uncomfortable and the feelings may go away after the event is over. A new diagnosis, life changes, and medical tests or treatments may trigger anxiety.
Learn More
- Treatments for anxiety might include medications, meditation, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioural therapy.
- Learn more about anxiety from the Ministry of Health-Addictions in BC HelpStartsHere.
- Explore ways you want to decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation which can increase anxiety levels, from Healthlink BC.
- Adults can find ways of making social connections from the Government of BC.
- Learn more about anxiety from HelpStartsHere.gov.bc.ca.
- Learn about the roles of a clinical counsellor, psychologist, and psychiatrist, and the types of guidance and support they can offer.
- Learn how to reduce feelings of loneliness, isolation, and depression from Healthlink BC.
Things To Do
- Learn about your diagnosis or health condition to help you feel more in control as this can help reduce feelings of anxiety or helplessness.
- Explore ways you want to decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation which can increase anxiety levels from Healthlink BC.
- If you are feeling mentally or emotionally unwell, contact your physician or nurse practitioner for an assessment. mindfulness to help you stay in the present moment, which can be useful when you feel overwhelmed by anxiety or fear about the future.
- Try deep breathing techniques as they can help calm your nervous system and reduce feelings of stress or panic.
- Define and protect your personal boundaries and privacy and confidentiality. Know what you want to share, when, and with whom.
- Consider complementary therapies such as acupuncture, massage, or aromatherapy to help relieve stress and physical discomfort.
- Consider trying yoga, chair yoga, pilates or tai Chi to learn relaxation and breathing techniques. Many classes are available online at no charge.
- Explore ways to share your feelings and needs with others you trust.
- Look into condition-specific support groups, online or in person, to meet with others who are going through similar experiences.
- Practice self-compassion by giving yourself time and space to deal with the potential changes in your health and lifestyle plans.
- Make a plan of ways to reduce your anxiety before health care visits, tests, treatments or hospitalizations.
Find Help & Support
- Check out the list of virtual mental services including how to get immediate help, free or low-cost counselling, workplace supports, and targeted services for youth, students, seniors, and indigenous people from the Government of BC.
- Call BC211, a free, confidential helpline that can connect you to a wide range of mental health resources and services available in your area.
- Check out HelpStartsHere.gov.bc.ca from the Government of BC for a comprehensive list of walk-in clinics and resources.
- Find a clinical counsellor, psychologist, or art therapist who can provide counselling or therapy listed by Counselling BC.
- Explore the list of emotional health and counselling services provided by ‘Pathways’ from the Doctors of BC.
- For youth 12 -24 years of age – find support for your emotional health at the Foundry.
- Check to see if you have Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) at your workplace which offers confidential counselling services.
- For students, ask if your university or college offers free, confidential one-on-one sessions for students in crisis.
- If you or someone you care about talks about feeling helpless or is showing warning signs of suicide, find help right away. Call the BC Crisis Line at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or call 911.
Mywell Health helps you learn about and organize your health information in one place. Add your emotional health information into your Health Profile fillable PDF tool and save it in your print or digital files under My Health Information.