Linking A nxiety, Emotion, and Mindfulness 35
Anxiety is multifaceted, meaning its symptoms are wide-
ranging and manifest differently depending on the person,
the type of anxiety, and the context in which it occurs. As
you can tell from the preceding list, there are many symp-
toms of anxiety, and they can arise either separately or in
combination, at any time, and for no discernible reason! To
illustrate this, imagine a group of kindergarteners who are
going to a petting zoo. On the way there, all of them are
excited. Once they arrive at the petting zoo, however, many
of the children will have entirely different reactions—
including different thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and
physiological reactions— to the prospect of petting the
various animals. Some will remain excited and pet each
animal they encounter, some will be apprehensive and may
only poke or touch a few animals, and others will outright
avoid most, if not all, of the animals. This latter group of
children will very likely experience anxiety in their body,
overestimate the dangers involved in touching the animals,
feel frightened and sheepish (no pun intended), or exhibit
obstinate behaviors. W hen we consider why these children
might be anxious, it’s important to think about the various
factors that lead them to feel anxious and to what degree.
For example, genetics, gender, personality, prior learning
experiences, emotional experiences, physical symptoms,
thoughts, and many other factors all inf luence how a person
will uniquely react to his or her environment.
To more closely examine how anxiety affects your expe-
riences, let’s consider the various facets of anxiety. Using the
following checklist, place a check mark in the box on the left
if you have experienced each symptom at least once in your
lifetime. Then, place a check mark in the box on the right if
it tends to be an ongoing problem for you.