Anxiety probably rears its ugly head now and then and makes you wonder how you’ll ever get through. Being anxious is something that doesn’t feel good and chances are you’ll do anything to stop it when it happens. Turns out that simply understanding what causes your anxiety is a huge step in making sure you can stop it from happening. But sometimes anxiety is caused by something you might expect. Here are some shocking triggers of anxiety that you want to be on the lookout for.
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1. Your Child’s Struggles
Here’s a little secret for you. When your kid struggles, your anxiety might be rear its ugly head. Is your child having trouble in math or being bullied in school? The root of your anxiety might be that. No, these problems aren’t entirely yours, but seeing your child struggle is a hard thing to go through so it can certainly trigger your own anxiety. Talking to a doctor might help.
2. Anything New
Changes in my routine can really throw me and I’m sure you’re the same way. Maybe the day is progressing as it should, then you find yourself injured and having to go to the hospital or you get a flat tire and get home late from work, putting dinner and bedtime way past their usual hour. Being prepared for life’s little quirks can help you ward off that anxiety. Take time to learn techniques for being more flexible and these little things shouldn’t rock you like they do.
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3. The Negative Nelly at Work
Even if you’re generally a happy and optimistic person, being around someone who isn’t can make your anxiety levels go through the roof. If your cube mate can’t stop moaning and groaning about her husband or your boss constantly gripes about how much work she has to do, it can make you more anxious. Try to distance yourself from these people whenever possible to minimize your stress levels.
4. Driving in Traffic
This is definitely one of my biggest anxiety triggers. Even hours after I’ve parked my car, other little things also make me anxious. If spending time in traffic makes you freak out a little bit, consider trying public transportation. If that’s not an option, listen to a book on CD or soothing music to help you feel more relaxed. That way, when you get where you’re going, the entire day isn’t ruined.
5. Extreme Temperatures
Feeling too hot or too cold can make anyone anxious, right? The cold isn’t as hard for me to bear as the heat, but you may be just the opposite. Whatever temp bothers you, feeling it can really make anxiety spike. Be prepared by wearing layers if the heat gets to you and by carrying a sweater if being chilled freaks you out. Just knowing you can take care of things may be enough to ward off your anxiety.
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6. Being Alone
If you’re like most women who suffer from anxiety, being alone where it’s quiet and you have to be inside your own head makes it even worse. That’s when you are thinking about stressful things without a distraction. The easy answer? Create a distraction. Listen to music or run a white noise machine to keep your anxious thoughts at bay. Or call a friend, take a walk or go see a movie. Whatever works!
7. Anxiety about Anxiety
For many people, knowing that anxiety can spike at any minute is enough to make them anxious. What a horrible Catch-22, right? Learning relaxation techniques is your answer in this case. Anytime anxiety gets in your way, deep breathing, meditation or yoga can really help!
8. Crowds of People
For quite a few people out there, social anxiety is very real. The easiest way to avoid this is to put yourself in these over populated situations as little as possible. And when you are in them, find something else to distract you whether it's talking to a few people you know, counting time, or taking frequent breaks for some air alone, you don't have to let your anxiety get the best of you with this one.
9. Death
For people who have experienced extreme amounts of loss in their lives, the idea of death causes severe anxiety for them. They fear death because it's brought so much heartbreak for them in the past.
10. Getting Older
Getting older is a fear we probably all have once we're out of our childhood age; however, for some, the idea of getting older is filled with anxiety. Whether it's not meeting expectations they've set for themselves or the expectations of others, age is an anxiety riddled topic for many people.
What makes you anxious? How do you fight it off?
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