7 People Reveal The Habits That Were Making Their Anxiety Worse

"I kept getting stomach aches and I couldn't figure out why... I decided to do a food journal to see if there was something in my diet causing my GI issues. I quickly discovered that my diet was filled with processed food and items that were high in sugar content, despite the fact that they were not actually sweet. I was buying things that said 'vegan' or 'gluten-free' or some other buzzword without actually reading the ingredients/label. I quickly began to cut out all the processed food and switched to a diet similar to the Whole30, before that was a thing. I not only noticed that my stomach pain was gone but that my anxiety levels had decreased. I began to notice if I ate certain foods, mainly things high in sugar/dessert, my anxiety would increase. This was also the case if I took weeks off from the gym. When I start to neglect my self-care, my anxiety levels severely increase."

"I get scared of everything and have gotten to the point where I can't even leave the house for months. Some days it's hard to look people in the eye and I have to practice by going to gas stations or grocery shopping. Otherwise it gets harder every day and I'll have more physical symptoms that make it harder like shaking, vomiting, and headaches. I also avoid things like opening mail because it makes me anxious and that creates financial issues when bills or information about appointments goes unread for over a year. I also get anxious when driving, so sometimes it takes all my energy to get to a place so I only stay for a few minutes for fear of the energy it will take to get home. It got to the point last winter where I couldn't hold a job... It was very shameful for me.

It's been a pretty intense fight to get to a point where I'm comfortable again. It's still an on going problem but I'm managing it better now. I've had a lot of amazing people. help me take care of myself and help me be patient with myself."

"I’m an introvert so I’m drawn to periods of time alone, but I began to notice that if I spend too much time alone, it’ll trigger anxiety and depression. When I’m in that state, I’m even more reluctant to be around people, so it snowballs. It keeps me trapped in my own thoughts, with nowhere for that energy to go. Being around others when I’m experiencing anxiety isn’t necessarily easy, but I’ve learned it provides the opportunity to safely transfer some of that energy and most importantly, receive support and at the very least, gives me the sense that I'm not alone, even if it’s amongst strangers in a coffee shop. Now, I’m hyperaware of when I’ve reached maximum introvert time and when I need to go and be around others. This goes for community as well. Having a support system and being a part of community is the most important tool for anyone with anxiety.

Alcohol and sugar are two others. I’m not talking about the occasional glass of wine or treat, but if I overdo it with the amount I know I can handle, my blood sugar gets wonky and instantly affects my mental health. I tested this out through elimination after noticing heart palpitations and panicky feelings, and noticed that without these frenemies, my anxiety doesn’t come to visit on a weekly basis anymore (i.e., after party weekends)."

"Overworking and forgetting about self-care has been a ‘normal’ pattern from an early age. It was time to success and be efficient. Going two days without enough sleep and overworking myself, my heart starts to race and anxieties arise. Lack of self-care, becomes a downward spiral, needing caffeine to stay awake to produce, speeding up my heart rate and my anxiety."

"Realizing I was getting attached too much to something. An idea, an outcome, a direction; something that could've happened, but didn't. The last one is the major one that would set off these spirals, which were anxiety-based and I couldn't do anything but obsess about them. Eventually, I realized I just had to let those spirals run, and learned to not get attached to those.

So, basically, non-attachment helps me mostly to work through anxiety, but it is definitely a card cultivation in itself. And it also let me know about my self awareness habits. Being connected to the idea or thing made me lose the anxiety about this 'invisible' past or future thing that I wanted to happen, and since it was invisible, it couldn't be really 'solved' in any way because I was making it up. That is where the just 'letting it be' until it dissipates habit came up for me."

"Any anxious feelings I have usually stem from work and a fear of failure. What makes it worse for me is defining myself by my 'successfulness,' which is total [BS] but I find that anxiety thrives on self-doubt."

"I’ve found my anxiety live in the mind space of who I’m supposed to be, rather than who I am. Which is tricky because we all have goals we want to achieve right? We all have wants and desires. I’ve found my anxiety spikes when I attach too heavily to the future. Like — I’m cool now and I want to learn, see, invest in these things — but also, I’m super cool now."

If you're struggling with anxiety, it can be hard to work your way out of it on your own, although certainly not impossible. If you feel like you can't do it alone, consider setting up an appointment with a therapist. They'll be able to help you identify your triggers and create new habits that will help keep those negative thoughts down.