How Are Anxiety and Sweating Related?

Are you nervous, tense, or anxious? Many people are today and with good reason. There is virtually no part of our society that is not suffering, from the economy to the cost of living, family bonds, and health care. Many who are nervous and upset all the time find that they all seem to perspire quite a bit as well, which of course doesn't help any. It's bad enough that you're nervous about something but then you need to be covered in sweat as well? But how are anxiety and sweating related and what can you do about both of these problems? Or is there even anything you can do?

The Fight or Flight Response

One way that anxiety and sweating are related is that when you're nervous or apprehensive about something the body responds by preparing to run away or to have a physical confrontation. We call this the fight or flight response. This anxiety causes sweating because the body needs to produce more blood in order to prepare its muscles for either of these reactions - fighting or running away. To produce more blood the heart beats harder and faster, which in turn raises the body's temperature. When the body's temperature goes up for any reason it reacts by perspiring in order to cool itself down. So when you're nervous you get warm and then in turn you start to sweat.

Sweating May Cause Anxiety

Another way that anxiety and sweating are related is that sweating itself may cause the anxiety. When people sweat they become very self-conscious and wonder if others can see their perspiration or smell the odor that results. This nervousness makes them even more anxious which in turn can mean even more sweating! But you can break out of this never ending circle of anxiety and sweating if you keep in mind a few quick pointers.

Take Deep Breaths

For one, remember the old advice of taking deep breaths in order to calm yourself. If you're feeling anxiety and sweating at the same time this might be difficult to do but if you really force yourself to breathe deeply it can get easier over time. It also helps to be aware of why you're feeling anxiety and sweating in the first place. You might not want to give much thought to something that makes you feel anxious and nervous but if you do, you might be better able to face it and then handle it more effectively. Sometimes too when you think about something that makes you anxious when you're not facing it right at that moment, you get a better perspective on the matter and find that it's nothing to be nervous about.

Reasons Why Anxiety and Sweating are Connected

There may be reasons why your anxiety and sweating are connected; you might be uncomfortably dressed at work and your office is very warm and stuffy, which in turn makes you feel overly hot as it is. There may be other reasons, but if you can get a grip on your anxiety, sweating can be greatly reduced.