What's the best method of objectively measuring anxiety?

Answer 1

Anxiety IS subjective! So if you're trying to figure out if your own levels of anxiety are normal, then you have to compare them to all the other times you were anxious... because only you know how bad it is.
But if you are trying to assess someone else's level of anxiety, then I would look at the physical symptoms. If those are absent, then I'd ask the person how bad they felt.
Sometimes someone may not know they are anxious, but if it's bad enough, they might think they are dying. This would be measured by symptoms like sweating, racing heart, tingling, vague chest pain, dizziness, feeling scared or closed in, etc.. This person needs to be calmed down immediately and reassured that they will be ok.

Answer 2

There are probably tests that doctors have which they label "objective." Do you believe that is actually possible?

Anxiety is conquered partly in your careful definition and use of the term. Anxiety may be nothing more than your instincts and alarm systems at the alert in a risky situation, as is completely appropriate. As to whether it is enough to want to reduce it, ask yourself this: if you were less anxious, would you begin to get careless, complacent, less vigilant?

Anxiety carefully controlled and used as an early warning system for your survival instincts, can be very useful. But that control is the whole point after all, because anxiety is most often when you fear someone else's control over your environment or circumstances, even your safety. What you yourself can master, you need not feel anxious about, but dare not grow complacent about.

Eternal vigilance is the first rule of Defense Against the Dark Arts.