As mental health continues to become more widely acknowledged as an important topic in our everyday lives, people are beginning to open up about their experiences with anxiety. According to National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 31% of adults living in the U.S. will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Anxiety disorders manifest in a variety of ways, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobia-related disorders. Although it’s normal, and sometimes even needed (during exams or interviews) to have some level of anxiety, an anxiety disorder is present more times than not and interferes with other areas of a person’s life, i.e., work, school, and/or interpersonal relationships.

A common feature among anxiety disorders is how frequently the fear/worry occurs and how long it takes to return to the original baseline. Unlike normal worry, people struggling with anxiety aren’t able to quickly comfort themselves and their anxious thoughts lead to a “snowball effect” of other unrelated situations. This is often accompanied by the presence of irrational thoughts, such as catastrophizing or all-or-nothing thinking. For example, when you don’t hear back from your partner or friend right away, you might feel they don’t love or care about you anymore, or that you must have done something to upset them. Anxiety can also present with physical symptoms, such as increased heart rate, restlessness, stomachaches, headaches, neck/back pain, sweating, and/or chest pain.

 As therapists, we frequently help clients working in the tech world of Silicon Valley find more peace and balance in their lives. Too often clients tell us they have difficulty “shutting their mind off” at the end of the workday because they are constantly thinking of a deadline or what they need to complete the next day. When we explore and process this tendency, we find that they are anxious about not doing a good job, disappointing their manager/peers, or fear consequences, such as being fired.

If this sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone! The therapists at Resilient Roots Psychology in San Jose, CA are experienced in helping you uncover the root cause of your anxiety, guiding you in examining the connection between your thoughts, affect, and bodily experiences, and collaborating with you to discover new tools and coping skills. We also include mindfulness practices to help clients feel grounded and more present in their daily lives. Our extensive knowledge and experience allows us to understand how distressing anxiety can be in a person’s life and our goal is to help clients manage their anxieties and feel more in control.

If you are ready for a change or desire to feel more at ease in your daily life, contact us using the form on our website.