5 Everyday Habits That Could Be Fuelling Your Anxiety

In this article I’m covering 5 everyday habits that could be fuelling your anxiety.

We all know that anxiety can make you feel like rubbish. Your mind races over and over all sorts of worst case scenarios. You feel tense, agitated and restless. You struggle to think clearly and make decisions. You might feel sick and struggle to eat. You go to bed exhausted from all the thoughts and feelings yet you struggle to drift off. You are so tired that you struggle to get up in the morning. Everything starts to feel much harder than it should. Even when you feel a bit better, you find yourself worrying that you might feel anxious again later.

Anxiety starts to ripple and ripple. You feel more and more tired so you want to do less. You worry about making plans and going out because of how you might feel. You don’t want to embarrass yourself or let others down. You don’t feel like seeing people, being active or pursuing your usual hobbies and interests. The less you do the more time you have to overthink. Life can feel like it is shrinking more and more. Some people I’ve worked with only get some temporary relief when they are at home, away from the outside world and with a screen for distraction.

Some everyday habits can fuel anxiety. These may be things that you were always doing but when anxiety strikes, they exacerbate it. Others may be things that have become habitual because of how you have tried to cope with those anxious thoughts and feelings.

Habits are just thoughts, feelings and behaviours that you have repeated over and over in a particular situation. The good news is that if some of your everyday habits are fuelling anxiety then there are practical steps you can take to help you with feeling better.

 

Everyday Habits Fuelling Anxiety

Anxiety can feel like a running stream flowing through your life. Sometimes stronger, sometimes quieter, yet ever present and unpredictable. Even in better moments, you know it could rise up at any time. And when you feel anxious, it can feel exhausting and overwhelming. You do whatever it takes to try and find some peace and escape.

Yet, what if some of the everyday habits that you may use to deal with anxiety, actually make it worse?

If some of your routines are inadvertently contributing to you feeling worse, then these need to be modified. With increased awareness and small changes you can start to take back control and feel calmer.

Here are five common everyday habits that can contribute to your anxiety, along with small adjustments you can start making so that your habits support, rather than hinder, you.

 

1. Procrastination and Avoidance

You feel anxious and you feel rubbish so no wonder you start to delay things and put things off.

The number one strategy for anxiety is avoidance. Your mind races with potential catastrophes, your heart races and so you avoid it. You start to feel a bit better. It brings temporary relief. Yet the anxiety is still there, waiting for the next time something similar comes along. Indeed, through avoidance you are signalling to your mind that this thing is so threatening and dangerous that it must be avoided at all costs. Your temporary relief comes with increased anxiety in the future. And that’s not even including the frustration, disappointment and guilt that comes with avoidance and escaping from things.

So many people I meet have something that they feel anxious about. It comes along and they feel bad and so avoid it. To tackle this, start setting smaller goals. Decide ultimately what you want to be doing and then think of the steps along the way. Only focus on the next smallest step. Break it down into bite sized, more psychologically and emotionally manageable, steps.

The same applies to more everyday tasks, The temptation becomes to put things off. It’s too mentally taxing, you feel too exhausted, you’d rather not think about it. Yet things mount up and the stress adds to your anxiety. Whether it’s answering emails, doing chores or making decisions, take small steps. Get some easy things accomplished first to build momentum. Procrastination fuels anxiety and creates pressure and overwhelm. You don’t have to do everything all at once,  so break tasks into small, achievable steps.

Set small goals, take small steps and celebrate every piece of progress. Momentum builds motivation and confidence that leads to calmness.

 

2. Excessive Screen Time and Social Media

Who hasn’t used screens as a form of escape from all the other stuff going on in life. I find a good comedy show, like Taskmaster, can be entertaining and make me laugh. There is nothing wrong with a bit of time on screens.

However, when you feel anxious, the tendency may become to spend more and more time on screens and social media. It provides a mental escape from the anxious thoughts and feelings. You don’t have to face the world when you are fixated on a screen. And that can become a problem. If you are just tuning out of life then things don’t get done. It can be another form of procrastination and avoidance. Everything else is still there when you put the screen down (assuming you do put it down, at least when it is time for bed and sleep).

Too much time on social media or doomscrolling can make you feel worse in yourself. You may start comparing the happy posts of others with how bad you feel in yourself. Or you can get caught in the rabbit hole of online groups discussing more and more problems and issues. Scrolling endlessly through news feeds and social media puts your brain and nervous system on alert. It’s designed to take your focus, reel you in and suck away your time. Your brain stays alert, stressed and switched on. It interferes with relaxation and giving your mind time off from alerts, notifications and bad news.

If the thoughts of less screen time and social media fills you with dread then you definitely need to tackle this everyday habit. Set clear boundaries with yourself over screen time and social media. Pockets of digital detox through the day, and especially at night, can give your mind time to unwind.

 

3. Unhealthy Eating Habits

The anxiety makes you nauseous and you don’t feel hungry. You skip meals and start to feel physically weary and short of energy, functioning on adrenaline alone. Or maybe, because you feel tied and need a boost, you start reaching for more and more sugary snacks to help you function. The same goes for caffeine, especially as you try and drag yourself through your day.

Skipping meals, too much caffeine and too much sugar mess with your system. You are thrown from one sugar or caffeine hit to the next. And too much caffeine or sugar can replicate the stress response, making you feel even more tense, on edge and jittery. It’s like adding more anxious sensations onto the ones you are already struggling with. You sweat, you get heart palpitations and your mind races. You just don’t need this extra adrenaline going through your system.

If this is you then start cutting back on the sugar and caffeine and make sure you are eating the right amount for you. Aim for healthier, more balanced meals most of the time.

 

4. Lack of Physical Activity

When you feel anxious, tired and down, the temptation can be to hide away and become more and more sedentary.

However, there is a huge wealth of research and evidence supporting physical activity for your mental health. Moving can help you alleviate stress and anxiety symptoms. You can check out the articles about this here on my website. In addition, being active gets you up and away and doing stuff rather than sitting and dwelling. If you go outside to do it then you can get focused on the environment around you and give your mind some time off from all that anxious thinking.

One task I often give to anxious clients is to get out for a ten to fifteen minute walk each day. You get out, you get moving and you get all the positive effects of moving. So do be sure to get out and do some activity each day.

 

5. Negative Thought Patterns

One of the most unhelpful habits for anxiety is negative thinking patterns. You may have a tendency to worry, think the worst and overthink. Worrying constantly about worst case scenarios or being overly self critical can strengthen anxiety over time. It can seem almost automatic to think negatively and to feel bad.

As I often tell clients, you do not want to leave an anxious negative thought to just do it’s own thing inside your head. If you do, you run the risk of it spiralling more and more. You then feel anxious and your brain finds even more things for you to worry about.

There are so many strategies and techniques for reducing negative thinking patterns. You could try the 3-3-3 Rule for Anxiety, practice guided self-hypnosis for calm and confidence, download one of my hypnosis downloads, or draw upon the variety of articles about controlling anxious thoughts that I cover in this article: High Anxiety Levels in Cambridgeshire.

 

Change Habits To Undermine Anxiety

As I cover here, some everyday habits can be fuelling your anxiety.

Sometimes people are hesitant about changing habits. There’s a perception that it has to be hard. Yet changing habits doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Even small, consistent steps can create a positive shift towards feeling better and calmer.

If you are struggling with anxious thoughts and feelings and could use some help then please do get in touch. Take the first step and book your free consultation. We’ll work together to help you overcome your anxiety and find more calm in your life.

To your health and happiness, 

Dan Regan

Anxiety Therapist in Ely & Newmarket

 

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