Mild anxiety- do you just live with it?

[OnTopOfSpaghetti]

Can I start by saying that I am aware that many people suffer from severe anxiety and that my situation is nothing compared to what they have to cope with on a daily basis.
However I am struggling a bit and would welcome some advice.
I have what I would describe as mild anxiety, it bubbles away underneath everything I do, I experience it as a physical feeling, I guess you could compare it to butterflies in the tummy type sensation. Also I feel at times tearful, unable to think clearly, and have some difficulty getting off to sleep. If something relatively minor goes wrong eg with my children's health, I can end up thinking of worst case scenarios and feeling panicked. None of this stops me going about my day to day life but it is always there to a certain extent.
We have a lot going on in our home life, I won't go into details but we need to make some big decisions soon regarding our work life balance. So that is unsettling me too.
So do I just get on with it? Acknowledge that it is part of my make up and just try and live with it? I don't know how sympathetic a doctor would be or how much they could help.
Any advice or experiences would be gratefully received.

If you feel like it's affecting your life then you should look for ways to deal with it, what form they take are up to you.

The NHS mood assessment might be a good place to start, to see where you're placed against what is considered healthy and give you a better perspective. www.nhs.uk/tools/documents/self_assessments_js/assessment.html?&ASid=44&mobile=true&nosplash=true

Sorry, this link has instructions www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Mood-self-assessment.aspx

Doctor should be sympathetic. In terms of help they can offer a range of different medications and also a range of talking therapies, esp CBT.

I go running & yoga to help with mine ( I know you may not have time to do these things I understand).
For me to an extent I do just live along with it. I get all those things you describe. I give myself a break if I feel it I have a rest.
That means taking a day off work sometimes.

Thank you so much for the replies.  for everyone struggling. It helps to know I am not alone.
I will definitely have a look at that link thank you @Emma198

Emma that link is so useful, thank you. Op I sympathise we really do need to be more kind to ourselves. I'm a big believer in the outdoors making things better, for me personally. I've had episodes of depression but saw a fantastic, straight talking doctor who made me realise I had to change what was causing my biggest stress. At the time it was my job, I now work in a new environment with less hours, yes the pay reflects that but my mental health does too! I have some mild anxiety which I think is down to living in our day and age, I stopped watching the news in the morning as I would worry all day now I listen to the radio. I practice mindfulness and yoga when I can, they are a game changer. Keep talking is my main advice, as hard as it is to get started, clearing your chest works wonders x

I understand what you are feeling. Day to day, i’m Fine, but in certain areas I feel less confident. I try to adapt my life to fit in with my anxieties, and every so often try to. Do something outside my comfort zone.

Regarding childrens health, I think it’s quite normal to panic. I’m not trying to undermine how you feel, just trying to reassure you that we all do that. It’s part of being a mum.

However, if it’s interfering with your life, then it maybe worth seeking help.

www.iesohealth.com/en-gb/patients/west-kent

In Kent, you can contact these people, free of charge, without a doctor’s referral. It maybe worth talking through your concerns. It’s a NHS funded service . There may be a similar scheme where you are.

I saw the doctor about anxiety in January and was referred for treatment, I fill out a questionnaire similar to that one each time I go and we track my progress from it. In 4 sessions each two weeks apart I've gone from really high scores to within the healthy range, i was on beta blockers at first but recently found out I was pregnant and have come off them. My anxiety peaked because of a stressful situation at work and that gave me that push to go to the doctors but in general mine sounds fairly similar to yours, and getting treatment has helped me no end x

Thank you @SprinkleSomeSparkles
I think I am scared to go to the GP because talking about it/admitting it does seem quite hard. I did that quiz and it said I should make a doctors appointment for anxiety. I was just over the half way score 12 out of 21 for anxiety. So not huge but still a problem. Not an issue with depression which I knew.
DH is working away for a long stretch which never helps, he is my rock and I struggle without him.
OK I guess its time to seek help, thanks again everyone.

And thank you for more replies while I was typing! Reading other people's experiences really helps.

Yoga, exercise and vitamins help me. Luck of sun affect me so I take vitamin d. I live with it in general and it doesn't stop me from doing things. some days I feel better than others. You can also try homeopathic remedies; cranial ostheopathy also helps me but I can't have it done all the time as it is expensive.

@Petalflowers I am in Hampshire but I'll have a google and see if we have anything similar.

100% recommend yoga and mindfulness practice. I usually practice with Yoga with Adriene on youtube. She has videos specifically for managing stress, so that could be a good place to start.

I started getting into yoga a couple of years ago and was doing it fairly regularly until I fell pregnant. First, I was too ill and too tired, then I was too tired from dealing with a kid, then I was too tired due to work and home life!

Over the last few months, my stress levels have gone up, which unfortunately has been compounded by my own partners issues with anxiety and depression (and he refuses to seek any kind of help or try anything new)

Sorry, I am rambling now.

Anyway, the point is, over the last few months I could feel myself getting anxious due to problems at home, and getting so stressed that I have been clenching my jaw so much it hurts. This week, I decided that I absolutely need to get the yoga mat out again. After only a few practices, I'm not clenching my jaw as much. i still feel a bit anxious, but I'm focusing on how much better I will feel at the end of next week.

Also, please dont be afraid to speak to your GP. I'm sure they hear it more often these days; there have been loads of books / articles / studies that say we, as a society, are more stressed and anxious these days. I think it's largely due to everyday pressures and being expected to juggle everything more than ever.

They were my first symptoms of peri menopause at 36 - no idea how old you are or how relevant this is to you but thought I’d let people know

Thanks for the replies. @TalkFastThinkSlow yoga sounds like something I should consider, I have the usual problems of finding time for a class as my DH works away a lot. But maybe it is something I could do at home.
@LayerShortOfALasagne I am 43, I have discussed my pre menstrual symptoms with the gp as I definitely feel worse before my period, and could well be in the peri menopause stage so maybe that would explain why it has felt worse over the last year or so.

This is me too. I decided I'd had enough about a year ago and my GP referred me to the talking service, I'm Hampshire/Surrey border area and there is one here called TalkPlus, also ITalk covers other parts of Hampshire. It did help me, but I've struggled a bit since being signed off, I am having to work at it but there's definitely an improvement.

@Wh0Kn0wsWhereTheT1meG0es sorry to hear you've been going through this too. Thank you for that information I think that could help. I keep it all in because it's not really something I feel comfortable talking about even to close friends and family.

That was what I was doing, I was talking to people about actual things that worry me, but not about the fact that I worry about things that most people wouldn't bat an eyelid at, or that I can spend days on end with my stomach churning with nerves over nothing in particular. One day I just told my friend who told me to go to the GP. Since then I have been more open about it, but often if I give an example of something I'm worried about the person I'm talking too will say they worry about it too so then I start to doubt myself.