Anxiety Chills: Why Do They Happen and What to Do?

Anxiety is a completely normal physiological, cognitive, and behavioral response under certain circumstances, but it can become a mental health problem when it becomes frequent, overwhelming, and causes significant clinical distress. The difference between normality and abnormality is a very fine line, whose height depends on the effect of different variables and their interaction.

Among its most significant symptoms we can find: nervousness, feeling of imminent danger, insomnia, increased heart rate, tremors, sweating, rapid breathing and worries. Now, there are other common symptoms of anxiety, among which chills stand out.

Anxiety Chills

Anxiety chills are a recurring manifestation in situations that are perceived as threatening. These chills are experiences that can cause anxious people to shake, shake, or feel like it is difficult to regulate their body temperature (Fischer, Haas, & Strahler, 2021).

In general, Anxiety chills appear in a high-stress situation, such as during a panic attack. They often occur in parallel with other anxiety symptoms, whether physical, emotional or behavioral. Some characteristics of them are the following:

Tremors.Tingling in the extremities.Muscle tension.Feeling of cold.Perceptions of not having control over the chills.Sweating.Shaking.Suffocation.

As we have examined, anxiety is related to chills. However, what is the exact mechanism by which they are linked? Why do anxiety chills occur? Let’s dig deeper.

Episodes of high levels of stress or fear can cause chills.

Causes of anxiety chills

The cause of these chills is found in the fight or flight response that is activated in a threatening situation.. This stress response is an evolutionary reaction that we all have programmed into the circuits of our brain. Through it, the body prepares to protect us from the danger that besieges our lives. The problem arises when this reaction is triggered without the presence of real danger.

Under these circumstances, The fight or flight response produces a cascade of hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol, which cause physical sensations such as increased heart rate, nausea, stomach pains, difficulty breathing, dilated pupils… Likewise, these hormones also generate muscle tension, tremors, shakes and chills.

Anxiety chills can also be caused by the body’s freezing response, so the body appeals to a specific physiological activation, such as chills, to release accumulated tension. This happens through alterations in blood flow, which generate perspiration and sensations of cold that make the person shiver. Because of this, chills can be felt when there is anxiety.

What to do about anxiety chills?

The key to controlling this type of chills is to treat the general causes or symptoms of the underlying anxiety. To do this, it may be useful to learn techniques that allow you to better manage the physiological manifestation of anxiety.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is an excellent strategy to reduce cortisol (Novais et al., 2016; Dolbier and Rush, 2012). What the person must do is relax all the muscles in the body, group by group. To practice, you can start with a few deep breaths. Then, contract and relax each muscle, starting with your forehead and going down to your toes.

With time and constant practice, the anxious person can learn to recognize the tension in their muscles, being able to relax them more easily, thus reducing the physiological reaction of anxiety and its consequent chills.

diaphragmatic breathing

The diaphragmatic breathing helps lower stress and anxiety levels. In a study that aimed to investigate the effect of diaphragmatic breathing on cognition, affect, and cortisol responses, it was found that diaphragmatic breathing can improve attention, affect, and stress levels.

To guide a person in this type of breathing you can tell them the following:

«Get into a comfortable position, close your eyes and observe your breathing. Pay attention to its rhythm and depth. Is it deep or superficial? Is it fast or slow? Then place one hand on your abdomen and try to feel as you breathe how your stomach inflates and deflates with each inhalation and exhalation. Place your other hand on your chest and try not to let it move when you breathe. Only the one on your abdomen should move.

Breathe in slowly through your nose, so that the hand you have on your abdomen feels the pressure of it rising. The hand on the chest should remain motionless. Hold your breath for a moment and exhale slowly through your mouth, so that you feel the hand on your abdomen descend».

Relaxation and breathing techniques are a good strategy to reduce anxiety levels.

Mindfulness

An investigation has found that the mindfulness It is effective in treating the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and can also help control your reaction to stress.

He mindfulness o mindfulness can have positive psychological effects, such as increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and better behavioral regulation. Through mindfulness, attention is brought to the experience of the here and now with openness, receptivity and curiosity.

Move the body

Another strategy to solve the problems of anxiety chills is to move. Doing some type of exercise such as walking, running, jogging, dancing or jumping can help the anxious person to improve the sensations of chills.

In closing, the best strategy to end anxiety chills is to treat the root problem underlying the anxiety. In this way, the intervention of a mental health professional is the best option and the most effective alternative to put an end to these chills and their causes.

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