Dealing with any severity level of anxiety can be challenging. Anxiety itself can come in many forms and can be triggered by a whole selection of environments and situations. It can be something that is caused through memory or due to previous trauma that has gone unaddressed for some time.
We all experience varying levels of anxiety, with some being able to manage it more effectively than others.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at what surprising triggers exist when it comes to anxiety and how to address them so that you can go through life with less of it weighing on your health and well-being.
Sleep is an integral part of keeping your body in good shape, as well as your mind. Your mental health relies on getting a good night’s sleep, as well as your body’s ability to physically recover from the day’s events.
A lack of sleep through irregular patterns of sleep or poor sleep quality can really take a knock to your health and wellbeing. It makes your brain more reactive to stressors and, therefore, impairs emotional regulation as a result.
Try to set up a regular sleep schedule where possible by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. If you’re prone to doing so, limit your screen time before bed, as the blue light is something that can suppress melatonin production.
A calming nighttime routine is also helpful when it comes to improving your quality of sleep. Try some light reading, gentle stretching, or perhaps a nice cup of herbal tea before bed.
When you’re not eating regularly or don’t stay hydrated, your blood sugar will inevitably drop. This can lead to physical symptoms such as shakiness, nervousness, and irritability. These symptoms can ultimately mimic or trigger anxiety.
To help improve your efforts with keeping well fed and watered, make sure you’re eating balanced meals every day. Everyone should have three meals a day that are nutritious and healthy for the body. Skipping meals to try to lose weight is often something many try to do, but it’s not sustainable or healthy for your body in the long-term.
Eating three meals a day and carrying around healthy snacks is going to optimize your energy levels, but also prevent low blood sugar, especially when you might have missed a meal due to timing.
Staying hydrated throughout the day is important, so it’s good to make sure you’re drinking lots of water and increasing this when you do workouts, etc.
It’s important to realize sooner rather than later that perfectionism doesn’t exist. That relentless pursuit of flawlessness sets unrealistic standards, and most people aren’t able to live by those standards.
This self-imposed pressure is often what fuels anxiety and causes it to bubble over if it’s already been simmering away for some time now.
Setting more realistic and achievable goals is important when it comes to avoiding anxiety from rearing its ugly head. Be aware of what you’re looking to achieve, and don’t forget to celebrate all the small wins you have along the way.
Embracing imperfection and viewing mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures is a good way of shifting your perspective. Don’t forget to practice positive self-talk and learn to push all those negative voices and opinions out of your head. If you’re struggling with those voices or getting past the negative feelings, speaking to anxiety therapists can be useful.
Slouching over or hunching constricts breathing, and that can lead to physical tension, as well as discomfort in the body. This signals a lot of stress to your brain and can therefore exacerbate those anxiety symptoms you’re wanting to avoid.
That’s why a good posture is important. Practice maintaining good posture in order to support better breathing and to provide that sense of confidence.
Incorporating gentle stretching or yoga into your routine helps release physical tension in the body. You could also focus on relaxing specific muscle groups throughout the day. It’s something that can be done consciously, from your jaw and neck to your shoulders.
That muscle tension is something you want to work on relaxing so that your body can be in a more relaxed state than a tense and stiff one.
A messy or disorganized living or work space can create a sense of overwhelm in your body that can be both physical and mentally tiring. It can make it difficult for you to focus, especially if you’re working in these home environments too.
Those increasing feelings of stress and anxiety are something you want to avoid, and it’s easily done by taking care of your home environment.
Be sure to declutter your surroundings gradually, where possible. Try to focus on one area at a time and establish simple, organizational systems so that you’ve got a sense of calm and control in all of your spaces.
The use of social media plays a heavy part in how well you manage your anxiety. If you’re easily triggered by what you see online and through your social media feeds in general, then it’s important to step back from it where you can.
Exposure to negative news that feels endless to comparing yourself to others’ curated lives onlines is something to limit. Try to manage your time on social media and do a detox where possible to help reset your mind. It may be helpful to rid yourself of toxic social handles or those that aren’t helping with your anxiety.
The gut and brain are directly linked, and so imbalances within the gut microbiome can impact stress responses and your mood.
Try to eat a whole-food diet and reduce your intake of artificial sweeteners and processed foods. Incorporate probiotics and make use of fermented foods to support a balanced gut.
These are just a few triggers of anxiety, but there are many more. The more you can address and reduce where possible, the better your anxiety levels will be in general.
