Do you know what anxiety is and what triggers anxiety? Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress that can happen due to many different reasons. It may happen in ordinary moments or hit without warning, and so it can be very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. However, certain things can make anxiety worse. Some triggers can make anxiety more likely and also make you more susceptible to several other related conditions. Without any further delay, let’s discuss some of the common anxiety triggers and the best ways to deal with them.
What Triggers Anxiety: 10 Common Anxiety Triggers You Should Know About
Sometimes, it can be easy to find what triggers anxiety. For instance, people with a certain type of phobia may experience anxiety when they see that particular object or be under certain circumstances. However, in many other cases, it is much harder to find a trigger. Panic attacks, for example, can come out of the blues without any obvious trigger.
Here are some common anxiety triggers that you should know about. Once you get to know about them, you can identify your triggers and avoid them and prevent an anxiety attack from occurring in the first place.
1. Health Problems
A health diagnosis that’s distressing or difficult, such as cancer or other chronic ailments, may cause anxiety or make it worse. This type of trigger is very potent due to the sudden, personal feelings it brings forth.
You can deal with anxiety caused by health problems by being proactive and engaged with your healthcare provider. Consulting a therapist can also be useful as they can help you learn to control your emotions around your diagnosis and during the entire course of your treatment.
2. Medications
Taking some prescription or over-the-counter medications may induce symptoms of anxiety. This is because the active ingredients in these drugs can make you feel unwell or uneasy. Such feelings can initiate a series of events in your body and mind and may develop additional symptoms of anxiety. Certain medications that may trigger anxiety include:
- Cough and congestion medications
- Birth control pills
- Weight loss medications
Talk to your healthcare specialist to know if any of your medicines may be responsible for your symptoms of anxiety and find an alternative medication that won’t trigger your anxiety or worsen your symptoms.
3. Caffeine Intake
Several people prefer starting their day with a cup of coffee, but did you know caffeine might trigger symptoms of anxiety. Caffeine boosts the level of epinephrine in the body. Epinephrine is one of the hormones that play a crucial role in the fight-or-flight response.
Consuming excessive amounts of coffee and other caffeinated beverages can, thus, leave people feeling anxious and on the edge of exhaustion.
Limit your intake of caffeine to improve the feelings of anxiety.
4. Negative Thinking
Your mind is what controls much of your body, and this is especially true with anxiety. When you are feeling low, upset, or frustrated, the words you say to yourself can trigger anxiety.
If you often use a lot of negative words while thinking about yourself, learn to control your language and feelings when you start along this path. In addition to this, work with a therapist.
5. Skipping Meals
When you skip meals, your blood pressure level may drop. This can lead to a growling stomach and jittery hands. It can also trigger feelings of anxiety.
Eating a well-balanced diet is crucial for a plethora of reasons. It provides you with energy and vital nutrients. If you can’t make time for three big meals per day, make sure you have healthy snacks frequently to prevent low blood sugar, feelings of restlessness or agitation, and anxiety. Remember, foods can directly impact your mood.
Also Read: Anxiety: Know 06 Best Ways to Improve Mental Health
6. Conflict
Disagreements, arguments, relationship problems – can all trigger or worsen your anxiety. If conflict specifically triggers you, learning conflict resolution strategies may be beneficial. Also, talk to a therapist or a mental health specialist to learn the best ways to manage the feelings these conflicts usually cause.
7. Financial Distress
Worries about having debt or saving money can trigger anxiety. Money fears or unexpected bills are common anxiety triggers too.
Learning to manage such types of anxiety triggers may need seeking help from a professional. Feeling you have a friend or a guide in the process could help relieve your concern.
8. Stress
Daily stressors like missing your train or getting stuck in a traffic jam can cause anxiety. Long-term stress may lead to long-term or chronic anxiety and exacerbating symptoms, along with other health problems.
Stress can also lead to behaviors like drinking alcohol, skipping meals, not getting adequate sleep, etc. These factors can also trigger or worsen your symptoms of anxiety.
Treating and preventing stress usually requires learning coping mechanisms. A counselor or therapist can help you learn how to identify your sources of stress and manage them effectively when they become problematic.
9. Parties or Social Gatherings
In a room full of strangers, it doesn’t sound like fun; you aren’t alone! Events that require you to have small talk or interact with strangers can trigger feelings of anxiety, which can be detected as a social anxiety disorder.
To help ease your anxiety, you may bring a friend along with you whenever possible. But it’s also advised to work with a mental health professional to find certain coping mechanisms to make such events more manageable in the long term.
10. Personal Triggers
Personal anxiety triggers are difficult to identify, but a competent mental health professional will help you identify them. These can be associated with a place, smell, or even a song. Personal anxiety triggers can, consciously or unconsciously, remind you of a bad or traumatic event that happened in your life. People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) generally experience their anxiety triggers from an environmental experience.
Identifying personal anxiety triggers may take time, but it’s significant so you can learn the best ways to deal with them.
