Anxiety is an emotion that we all have experienced at one time or another. It might have been before asking out an individual on a first date, before having to give a presentation at work, in a test/performance review situation or even in mundane situations like having to go back and ask for extra napkins at the front of a long lineup in a fast food diner. Though all these situations vary in the scope of anxiety produced, the emotion is meant to prepare your body for a “fight or flight mode” and generally should aid you in the task if the anxiety is very mild in its intensity.

(The following is a Disclaimer)

Sidenote: This post is about general anxiety. Everyone does feel anxious in various situations and that’s normal, as long as the anxiety goes away after the event (i.e. after doing the presentation, you find you are no longer anxious). If the anxiety persists or is a source of chronic or debilitating discomfort to the point that it interferes with day to day life, you should consult a Professional MD Doctor.

General symptoms of anxiety disorder include:

• Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness
• Problems sleeping
• Cold or sweaty hands and/or feet
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations
• An inability to be still and calm
• Dry mouth
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
• Nausea
• Muscle tension
• Dizziness

If you experience these symptoms, you should consult a professional and get the assistance you need. This post addresses anxiety as in the emotion that everyone experiences within a normal range, not chronic anxiety.

(Disclaimer over. phew)

So anxiety in its mildest, meekest form should help you stay vigilant for that midterm exam or perhaps that report you have to write for work. However, for most of us, when we do experience anxiety it tends to consume a larger part of our brain space and that’s when anxiety becomes detrimental to productivity. Like I stated in the previous post, L-Theanine is a psychoactive substance; a chemical that can cross the blood-brain barrier to interact with the brain directly and actively change your psychology. Though I will delve deeper into the science and specifics of how L-Theanine helps to reduce anxiety in the following post, studies have shown that taking L-theanine in larger doses can reduce anxiety in high performance situations without the side effect of drowsiness. Also when taken in a combination of caffeine, it has been clinically shown to improve memory and reaction time, while serving as a mental stimulant.

Sources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12497648  –> Generalized Anxiety

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18254874 –> L-Theanine and Psychoactive effects