The World Health Organization reports that anxiety disorders are the world's most common mental disorders, affecting 301 million people in 2019. An estimated 31.1 percent of U.S. adults experience an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 19.1 percent of U.S. adults have had an anxiety disorder in the past year. This is higher for women (23.4 percent) than men (14.3 percent). Symptoms of anxiety often have onset during childhood or adolescence.

The 2024 results of the American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll show that U.S. adults are feeling increasingly more anxious. In 2024, 43 percent of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, up from 37 percent in 2023 and 32 percent in 2022. Adults are particularly anxious about current events (70 percent), especially the economy (77 percent), the 2024 U.S. election (73 percent), and gun violence (69 percent).

As indicated, many individuals are impacted by anxiety. It’s important to understand why we’re prone to it, its utility, and how we can shift our mindset to be more accepting and compassionate toward ourselves while we’re coping with and managing it.

1. Moderate amounts of anxiety can be helpful. It can positively impact motivation, diligence, and conscientiousness. Excess stress negatively affects all systems of the body including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems.

Chronic and prolonged stress and anxiety can lead to serious physiological, emotional, and behavioral issues. When the body is activated, the fight-or-flight/stress response is triggered, which causes the sympathetic nervous system to release........

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