Unexpected ways anxiety can

impact your life

 Anxiety can manifest itself in a variety of physical and mental
symptoms.
 Anxiety can make it difficult for you to focus on tasks or
remember things. It can also cause you to have nightmares.
 Your immune system and skin can also be impacted by
anxiety

1. Anxiety can make it difficult for you to focus 

"Often when your mind is consumed with racing thoughts and

trying to ward off and cope with the intense anxiety that you're
feeling, it can be very difficult to focus at work, school, or even
at home watching TV," said Laura Chackes, a licensed
psychologist and owner of The Center for Mindfulness &
CBT in St. Louis, Missouri.

"Anxiety often keeps us stuck in the past or fearful of the

future and ultimately robs us of being present in the current
moment, which is where you need to be in order to focus on
work," added Lindsay Henderson, a psychologist who treats
patients virtually via the telehealth app LiveHealth Online. 
2. Anxiety can make it challenging to remember
big and small things
Similarly, Henderson told INSIDER that anxiety can be
behind your ability to remember things both big and small,
like an upcoming work assignment or a friend's birthday.

"[Anxiety] can also lead to forgetfulness, as focus and

concentration is critical for forming and consolidating
memories," she explained. 

3. It could impact your self-esteem

"Anxiety can also negatively impact self-esteem," said

Chackes. "Whether you are suffering from social
anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder or
another type of anxiety, your fears and worries likely either
make you doubt yourself or your ability to handle situations."

4. It could cause you to experience nightmares

or vivid dreams 

Disrupted sleep is a well-known side effect of many mental

health conditions, including anxiety. But even if you're
sleeping through the night, anxiety may cause you to have
expressly vivid dreams or nightmares.

"Our minds don't necessarily quiet when we go to sleep,"

Henderson told INSIDER. "Anxiety and stress during the day
can stay with you overnight, causing sleep problems and fear-
based nightmares that make it difficult to get [sufficient] rest."
5. Anxiety can impact your immune system,
meaning you might get sick more than usual 

Anxiety takes a toll on your entire body, so if you find yourself

battling illnesses more often than normal, it could be because
of your mental health.

"When your body notices an uptick in anxiety, it releases

cortisol. Cortisol functions to shut down any processes that
take energy away from 'fight-or-flight mode.' Some of these
processes may be the same ones that boost the body's immune
response," Meg Josephson, a licensed clinical social worker
and psychotherapist based in New York, told INSIDER. "This
can lead to an increase in our likelihood of getting a cold or flu,
or a general sense of feeling 'unwell.'"

" [Anxiety] impairs the aspects of the immune system that

fight infections. Studies suggest that individuals with chronic
anxiety may be more likely to get the flu, colds, and other
types of infections," added Henderson.

6. If you're experiencing anxiety, you may also

be dealing with aches and pains throughout
your body

"We often carry our stress in our bodies — mental tension and
physical tension go hand in hand," said Henderson. "This can
lead to sore muscles, back and neck pain, tension headaches,
and digestion upset."
7. Anxiety can impact your skin 

"Many people talk about stress and anxiety causing their skin

to break out and there is actually some truth to this," said
Chackes. "Stress causes your body to [increase hormone
production] that can increase oil production, which can lead to
acne and other skin conditions."

"Anxiety and stress can also exacerbate existing skin

conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and fever
blisters. It can [also] cause rashes and hives," she added.

Visiting a dermatologist can help but you may also want to

check in with a mental health professional if you believe
anxiety could be contributing to your skin-related issues. 

8. It could cause changes in your speech

patterns

"Anxiety can lead to changes in speech patterns because it

causes us to second guess ourselves and speak with less
authority," said Josephson. "Anxious thoughts may distract us
from what it is we are saying and make it less likely that we
deliver our thoughts in a confident, tangential way.”

If you have anxiety, you may find yourself wanting to be on your phone or

tablet at all times

In an increasingly tech-savvy world, it's not a secret that many
of us spend plenty of time on our smartphones or in front of a
screen. But if you find yourself needing to be on your device
very often, you could be avoiding dealing with your anxiety. 
"Most people do not want to experience anxiety, so it's natural
that we try to find a way to avoid feeling this way," said
Chackes. "Distraction is a form of avoidance and with
minicomputers at our fingertips all of the time, many [people]
turn to playing games or scrolling through social media to
distract from the discomfort of anxiety."

She said this can be quite problematic because this generally

involves tuning out emotions instead of processing them. She
said this avoidance strategy doesn't usually work and "anxiety
actually tends to increase over time the more we avoid dealing
with it."

9. It could be difficult for you to sit still if you

have anxiety

"One of the core symptoms of an anxiety disorder is

restlessness. When your mind has difficulty settling, your body
can also struggle to stay still," Henderson told INSIDER. 

10. Anxiety can also worsen the symptoms of

other mental health conditions 

"Anxiety is often the cause of other mental health conditions

worsening or flaring up, such as depression, obsessive-
compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD)," Chackes told INSIDER. "It's common that
when one is experiencing increased anxiety, the symptoms of
other disorders also increase."