5 Little-Known Facts About Anxiety

According to the news, a bra was recently invented to help control anxiety. Sounds strange, right? Well that’s just one of the strange but interesting facts about one of the most common emotions: anxiety.

As you probably already know, anxiety and stress both have negative consequences on our bodies as well as our minds. The worst part is that they’re much more common than we realize and can cause harmful and destructive behaviors in those who suffer from these emotions.

For example, people that tend to be very anxious are prone to binge eating . And unfortunately, anxious eaters usually binge on are those foods that contain the most fat and sugar. This “stress eating” doesn’t make the symptoms go away forever, it will just alleviate them in the moment.

Other common anxiety-related behaviors are nail biting, trouble sleeping, or other compulsive activities: rearranging furniture, going running at three in the morning,  cooking everything in the kitchen, etc.

The truth is that each person feels anxiety in his or her own way, and will find a million and one ways to alleviate it.

A bra might be able to help us control anxiety.

Back to the bra….A group of researchers has investigated the ways that an undergarment, such as a bra, can have another purpose other than to clothe us. Though it’s still an experiment and is not yet out in stores, this bra seems to be the solution to anxiety problems in women.

This undergarment has the ability to identify mood changes in women. It analyzes the skin, heartbeats and breathing. It’s also equipped to perform mobile and wireless electrocardiograms. It can detect mood changes based on physiological signs.

It has sensors that can easily be removed in order to wash the bra or insert them into other bras to match your outfit. However, one of the shortcomings of this invention is its short battery life (only 4 hours).

When it comes out in stores, whoever wears it will receive a notification on their phone of any increase in their levels of anxiety. This could be helpful in preventing those struggling with anxiety from reaching the point of no return: that moment when their anxiety reaches a peak and the only way to alleviate it is by eating three chocolate bars, two bags of chips and a gallon of ice cream.

If this bra didn’t surprise you, these facts will surely catch your attention:

Anxiety alters our sense of smell.

When we’re anxious, every smell and scent seems unpleasant, no matter how good they normally are to us.

The olfactory system becomes more activated, so we’re capable of perceiving unpleasant smells around every corner. Though this might come in handy while cleaning the house, it wouldn’t be so handy when we’re preparing a meal, for example.

Exercise reduces anxiety.

While you may already know this, it’s important to keep it in mind, especially if you suffer from anxiety. Go out for a jog, ride your bike or take a twenty minute walk when you feel anxiety building up; you’ll surely feel better and calmer. By moving your body, you’ll release some of your tension.

Think of the form of exercise you most enjoy, and remember that exercise is not only good for your physical health but also for your mental health.

Anxiety impedes our balance.

Imagine an anxious tightrope walker! All jokes aside, anxiety can make you feel dizzy for no apparent reason. You might even stumble on the sidewalk or experience blurry vision. During these dizzy spells, it can be helpful to close your eyes, breathe in slowly through your nose and wait a little while before resuming your activities.

Anxious people are smarter.

Finally some good news! Though it’s still not a good idea to raise your stress levels in order to get a good grade on an exam. There’s a link between anxiety and verbal or linguistic intelligence. It’s probably due to the fact that anxiety speeds up our thoughts.