Yoga - Stilling the mind, calming the heart

 Anxiety is a feeling of fear accompanied by worrying about the possible outcomes of a perceived threat, which may be imminent and real, or it may be caused by a negative perception of the situation and the uncertainty associated with it. Everyone is likely to experience anxiety occasionally in their life. When anxiety occurs frequently it can create a perpetual sense of dread and make a person dysfunctional in everyday life.
A panic attack is an intense form of fear or anxiety that occurs spontaneously along with uncomfortable mental and physical symptoms. While some panic attacks are caused by exposure to a phobic object, many occur without warning and for no foreseeable reason. Some physical symptoms are dizziness, chest pain, palpitations, difficulty breathing, and shaking and sweating. Typically a panic attack lasts for 5 to 20 minutes, some attacks may last over an hour depending on the intensity and any underlying health condition. 

Possible causes of anxiety

Genetic Inheritance - Studies on twins and young people with anxiety have shown that genes may have a role in the development of anxiety. Although no specific gene was found responsible for this effect, a recent breakthrough discovery by researchers at the University of Bristol and Exeter has identified a gene in the brain driving symptoms of anxiety. Inheritance of anxiety, however, is linked to a close relative such as a parent or a sibling with anxiety. It still remains to be understood if and how learned behaviour and thinking patterns from close family members influence genetics of anxiety.
Past experiences - the emotions associated with adverse life experiences during the early and growing years can leave lasting and deep-rooted impressions on our minds. Past experiences that a person is not able to process and cope well with can render the person vulnerable to similar incidents when they happen again in life and may become a source of anxiety.
Current life events and environment - challenging life circumstances and a negative environment can become a cause of anxiety for many people. A dire prognosis of a health condition, the uncertainty of finances, relationship issues, work and social pressures, and many possible situations can cause anxiety.

 How anxiety can affect an individual and their feelings

Anxiety can affect an individual's thinking, perception, emotions, behaviour, and biology in many different ways.

The physical/ biological effects of anxiety can be muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, and back, increased heart rate, palpitations, shallow breathing (this may cause cognitive impairment as well), dry mouth, sweating, and digestive problems among others.
Anxiety can negatively influence an individual's state of mind and emotional response. Anxiety can make a person feel edgy and uneasy from the uncertainty and lack of control over the situation. Mood swings, depression, poor sleep and concentration, low confidence, and low self-esteem may prevail. The person may feel irritable and impatient with others as they find it difficult to bear the circumstances causing their anxiety.
Long-term anxiety can cause structural changes in the amygdala in the limbic system and negatively influence a person's stress response making them prone to stresses of everyday life. This may lead to mental exhaustion and make the person vulnerable to metabolic disorders, heart disease, and auto-immune diseases.

 An individual may have various negative or overwhelming feelings when experiencing anxiety. Some of these are:
 

Feeling restless and edgy - the uncertainty of the circumstances that are causing anxiety, and the lack of control over their possible outcome can make a person feel so.
Feeling irritable and impatient - Often anxiety is an offshoot of an underlying stress stemming from the negative situation. It can disturb the person's hormonal chemistry making them temperamental and wish for these circumstances to be over soon.
Feeling you can't cope with normal everyday issues - Depending on its intensity anxiety can consume a lot of cortical real estate. This can deprive the person of their mental faculties for other purposes which are necessary for functioning efficiently in all areas of life. 

Breaking the cycle of Negative thinking

 A cycle of negative thinking is often precipitated by a negative outlook. It involves a pattern of thinking that perpetuates negative beliefs, emotions, and behaviours.
 

Stage 1 - When faced with an adverse situation the person tends to develop a negative thinking pattern so much so that they anticipate the worst outcome possible (catastrophising). The person is more focused on problems and failures rather than potential solutions to the situation at hand.
 

When faced with a similar situation the person goes through a similar negative thought pattern leading to reinforcement of their emotional response and behaviour pattern.
Stage 2 - Emotional response - Negative thinking creates undesirable emotions of anxiety, anger, feeling trapped, feeling incapable, and frustration. These emotions further feed negative thinking.
Sateg 3 - Behaviour pattern - Negative thoughts and emotions propel negative behaviour. The person can engage in self-sabotaging behaviour, socially recluse, and stop doing things that empower them, bring them joy, and seek opportunities to do well in life.