I’ve been hearing from so many of my followers that they battle with anxiety and in many instances it plays out in their behavior and their relationships. What we often overlook are the things we do that may be contributing to the anxiety and it’s severity.
So I wanted to help you out and give you twleve habits that may be making your anxiety worse.
1. Excessive caffeine
Try not to take in caffeine too close to bedtime and try to limit how much you ingest overall throughout the day. Even though you may have had that triple shot espresso at lunch, it can still be wreaking havoc in your system at bedtime.
2. Skipping meals
This is a really common one, especially for those who are on a weight loss journey. The problem is when you skip meals, it sends a signal to the brain that there is no food, and the body goes into a “conserve power” mode. This is a trait from our ancestors when we had to hunt for food and didn’t know when or where we’d get our next meal from. Skipping meals can literally increase anxiety in the body.
3. Processed foods
It’s so easy to prepare processed food by just popping it in the oven or microwave, especially when you’re running short on time, and voila! Ready-made meal. The problem is all of the chemicals added to the food when it gets processed. Those chemicals wreak havoc on the body’s system. The endocrine system is a common one that goes haywire. These chemicals themselves also shift mood and behavior and increase anxiety. The more common culprits are artificial sweeteners, food colorings and dyes and flavor enhancers like Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). Most of these are neurotoxins and feed right into your level of anxiety.
4. Excessive sugar
Sugar is one of the most dangerous, silent addictions there is. It literally kills you very slowly. It’s also something that lights up pleasure centers in our brains, so when we feel anxious, we crave sugar, and then it increases the anxiety, creating a vicious cycle. Sugar creates dips and spikes in our blood sugar, which result in becoming irritable, having mood swings, and persistent sadness. It also causes inflammation in the body and leads to a whole host of diseases. A good key to remember is if it comes in a box, it’s probably high in sugar…even many of them that claim to be healthy. Want healthy sugar? Eat fruit. It’s so much better for your body.
5. Dehydration
The symptoms of dehydration often mimic anxiety symptoms. The amount of fluid in our body has a direct correlation with the anxiety and mood swings we go through. A common dehydration time is in the winter when people slow down on how much water they’re drinking because they’re in hibernation mode. Make sure you avoid dehydration-related anxiety by drinking the amount of fluids your body needs.
6. Poor eating habits
Eating improperly or late at night can cause issues like heartburn, which can exacerbate anxiety. Eating food that is lacking in nutrition can also increase anxiety, as it can add weight and health challenges to your body.
7. Alcohol
Alcohol can simulate happiness for awhile as it interacts with the “feel-good” chemicals in the brain, but once it wears off, it wears off with a crash. This, often, intensifies feelings of anxiety for several different reasons. Not only is there a sudden crash, but many don’t remember or may regret their behavior during their time of inebriation, and will be anxious about who may have seen what.
8. Sedentary lifestyle
A lack of exercise in your lifestyle can contribute to anxiety by failing to flush waste and toxins from your body, which builds up and affects your body systems. Not only can a sedentary lifestyle lead to disease and decrease of strength, but many of the different organ systems require exercise to work properly. The Lymphatic system is one of those that needs movement in the body to help flush the toxins and eliminate waste from the body. When this doesn’t happen, systems can go haywire, contributing to an increase of anxiety.
9. Inadequate sleep
Sleep is so much more essential than we give it credit for. When we lack adequate sleep, it affects our entire body, including our nervous system, which can trigger high anxiety in us. Lack of sleep is one of the major causes in disease, and one of the first things mental health professionals ask about when evaluating people for anxiety disorders.
10. Media
No matter what media channel you tune into, you’re going to see and hear all the negative stories. The fact is, when it comes to journalism, there’s a saying “if it bleeds, it leads”. Stories are shared by the degree of sensationalism. Anyone with a degree of empathy would be affected by these stories, feeling their anxiety rise. One can only hear stories that trigger fear and outrage for so long before their nervous system responds as well. Take a break from the media. It’ll do you good.
11. Negative self-talk
When we speak to ourselves with a negative voice, our bodies react. If you’re constantly saying “I can’t”, or focusing on what’s holding you back from doing something, or dwelling on hurt or anger, it can trigger anxiety. The voice we speak to ourselves in should be just as gentle as the voice we speak to others in. And if we can’t speak gently to others, we have a whole different issue to take a look at.
12. Pretending anxiety doesn’t exist
When we have anxiety, pretending it doesn’t exist won’t make it go away. As a matter of fact, it may even exacerbate it. We can’t pretend away something that needs to be released. A good way to help acknowledge the anxiety and ride the wave is by journaling. Getting out all of those concerns and worries in a space that feels safe, and then being able to process those emotions. Seeking the help of a mental health professional is also very important in processing through anxiety and finding relief.
This is not a complete list by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a great start if you want to figure out what may be contributing to anxiety you’re feeling, and what you can do to find relief. I’d love to hear if any of these worked for you. As always, feel free to leave a comment and/or connect with me.
