Gut Health

Why Do I Feel Anxious for No Reason?

Your heart starts beating very fast. You feel like something terrible is happening, that danger is close. You can’t think about anything else but that intense fear and worry. But you’re sitting in your kitchen – perfectly safe – and your anxiety seems to make no sense.

And unfortunately, it doesn’t fade away, at least not completely. You may feel worried often, or worry extra about everyday things, so they feel like monumental concerns. And you may feel frightened, nervous, and agitated even when there’s nothing obvious causing it.

The truth is that anxiety doesn’t need a reason… at least not one that’s clear to you in the moment. Even more surprising, it can be magnified and prolonged by something you’d never expect…

Your Internal Alarm Signal Keeps Going Off

Did you ever have a smoke detector that started beeping out of the blue? There’s no smoke… no fire… but it just keeps blaring?

Anxiety can feel that way, like a broken danger detector that goes off for no reason. But anxiety almost always has a trigger, even if it makes no sense… And even if you can’t identify the trigger. 

When anxiety strikes, your body goes into self-defense mode: fight, flight, or play dead. Your body gets flooded with hormones that specifically activate those responses. Your heart beats faster because your legs need extra blood when they’re running away from danger. Or you freeze up completely, hoping that the danger won’t notice you and just go away.

That’s why anxiety causes a long list of physical symptoms including:

  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Tense muscles
  • Irritability
  • Excess sweating
  • Feeling on edge
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Dry mouth
  • Exhaustion 

When you’re anxious, you may not have a full-on danger response, but it’s enough to keep you cornered in by the fear and worry. And that makes it hard to do or think about anything else.

Thankfully, one simple change – to a microscopic part of your body – can help calm anxiety and restore your peace of mind.

peace of mind

The Surprising Link Between Your Gut Bacteria and Anxiety

Your gut microbiome contains trillions of bacteria. In a healthy gut, beneficial probiotic bacteria greatly outnumber harmful pathogens. And – this may surprise you –  those probiotic bacteria contribute to your mental health in many ways. 

Among many other health benefits, probiotic bacteria: