Anxiety sweats have the ability to affect us at the worst of times. Hence the name anxiety. You could be preparing for a massive presentation at your new job. It’s the first one you’ve had to do and you spent all week preparing for it. However, despite being a 10 degree temperature outside, you notice a sudden dampness under your pits before you’ve even made it to the office. The mere thought of having to speak in front of people has turned you into a sweaty nervous mess. The enemy is now spreading fast and your levels of stress is increasing. You consider calling in sick, but your boss has just noticed you and given you the big thumbs up. What a jerk.
Does this scenario sound familiar? At least the sweating and the nervous part of it? Hyperhidrosis is a common condition that affects more people than you know. The reasons as to why people experience excess sweating is different for each. Some only need to imagine having a conversation with people and they start sweating. If you’re at your wits end and unable to control nervous sweating, here’s some tips to help you out.
Wear breathable clothing
When you’re nervous your body temperature tends to increase resulting in those undesirable wet patches. The level of sweat you produce can reduce significantly if you are wearing clothing that is light and breathable. Try to avoid cheap synthetic materials opting for fabrics like cotton and silk.
Recognise your triggers
Anxiety attacks are overwhelming and besides sweating, you are likely to experience tightening in the chest, overactive heart rate, intrusive or unwanted thoughts, obsessive thinking or compulsive behaviour patterns. If you can recognise a few of the things that trigger your anxiety, find ways to redirect your focus on anything other than how you are feeling. This may be talking to others, exercise, playing or listening to music, watching a movie and painting a picture to hang in the hallway.
Adopt deep breathing techniques
This sounds far too simple to be effective, however breathing is a calming technique that cools down the body and reduces the need to sweat. By sitting down and taking a deep breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, you’ll begin to notice results within a few minutes.
Clinical Strength Antiperspirant
If you’re currently using a deodorant over an antiperspirant, it’s time to make the switch. Along with sweating, also comes body odour. An unpleasant aroma that is not only embarrassing but makes you even more anxious in social and professional environments. Curb this with a strong antiperspirant like Rexona Clinical for Men, which will block the pores stopping excessive sweating in its tracks.
Watch what you eat
An overlooked cause for anxiety sweats is eating foods that your body can’t tolerate. For many people this may mean dairy products or gluten. By eating foods that make your body unhappy, it has to work overtime to protect your tissue from the harmful components of the food your body disagrees with. When your immune system kicks into overdrive, your sympathetic nervous system mistakes this for stress, which activates stress coping mechanisms like sweat. Not sure if you’re intolerant to anything? Pay a visit to your naturopath, what they say might surprise you.
While there are plenty of quick fixes to excessive sweating like Botox and anti-depressants, make sure you talk to your doctor before deciding whether these options are right for you.
