What are elevated anxiety levels?

Elevated anxiety levels are when your body feels scared or worried even if there’s no real danger around.

Imagine you're at the park playing with your favorite toy. Suddenly, a big dog runs by. You might feel your heart beat faster and your hands get a little shaky, that's normal anxiety. But what if you start thinking, “What if the dog comes back? What if it bites me?” even after the dog has gone? That’s elevated anxiety levels, like when your brain is still saying “watch out” long after the danger has passed.

Think of your body as having a fire alarm. When something scary happens, it goes off to warn you. But if the fire alarm keeps ringing even when there’s no fire, that’s elevated anxiety, like being worried about a fire even though everything is fine.