While anxiety is a common human phenomenon, for many it becomes more than an intermittent feeling of apprehension or fear. It may overwhelm daily life, obstruct decision-making, relationships, and personal well-being. Certain daily behaviors increase anxiety rather than diminish it. Anxiety tends to become circular, with tension feeding unease in a vicious circle that is hard to break. Those behaviors might be so deeply rooted in our everyday routine that we cannot even realize how destructive they are to worsening anxiety.
Following are seven common habits that tend to make anxiety worse; we’ll look at practical ways of breaking them, so you may begin to get a glimpse of the peaceful and controlled attitude in your life.
1. Overthinking Every Decision
One of the most anxiety-inducing habits one could ever have is overthinking, or rumination. Whenever one is overthinking, he is not just considering options. He has to go through each and every possible outcome; hence, every risk and every kind of mistake that one might commit ends in decision paralysis. That means the fear of making a wrong choice is big enough that you can’t make any at all. This endless cycle of what-ifs keeps you stuck and increases your anxiety over time.
Why It Worsens Anxiety:
Overthinking is an effective trigger for anxiety because it places your attention on what-ifs and worst-case scenarios. By obsessing over possible negative outcomes of any particular decision, you inflate the stakes of every decision beyond recognition and lose sight of the bigger picture.
How to Break It:
One surefire method for curbing overthinking is by setting time constraints on decision-making. Set a timer on smaller decisions, such as what to wear or eat, and for bigger decisions, such as career or financial choices, allow yourself a day or two to consider your options before making a final decision. Start practicing accepting that not all decisions have to be perfect. Most life choices have some room for flexibility, and many choices can actually be modified if needed.
Action Point: Put a time limit on every decision. Smaller decisions can be given a few minutes, while larger decisions must be given time to weigh out the pros and cons, reasonable but limited. Also, remind yourself that no decision is permanent, and one must remain flexible.
2. The Reassurance Junkie
Another lousy habit that increases anxiety is reassurance-seeking from other people. This is repeatedly asking if you’ve made the right choice, or if you’re doing well, or whether people like you. Though it may give you temporary relief, reassurance-seeking ultimately undermines your self-confidence and endorses the belief that you can’t trust yourself.
Why It Worsens Anxiety:
When you turn to other people to make you feel secure, you are actually getting more and more dependent on their external validation. If you depend on it, anxiety grows because you get in a constant pursuit of approval, and when it’s not there, anxiety spikes.
How to Break It:
The key to breaking this habit is to start trusting your own judgment. Make little decisions on your own without asking the opinion of anybody. Extend it progressively to big decisions as you grow in confidence. Learn to accept that it’s okay to make mistakes and that those mistakes can serve as important lessons. You can also practice self-validation-recommend to yourself that you can make decisions and handle whatever outcome follows.
Action Tip: The next time you feel one of these reassurance needs, catch yourself and work out the question for yourself. Practice an independent sense of self by reassuring yourself with statements such as “I trust myself to make good choices.”
3. Avoiding Your Fears
Not going close to things that create a situation of fear is a natural response. If something makes you anxious, it would appear that the simplest way out may be to avoid it. But ultimately, the more you practice avoidance, the more anxious you could become over time. This is because through avoiding situations that make you anxious, you are reinforcing the fear and not allowing yourself to learn that you can handle it.
Why It Worsens Anxiety:
Avoiding a fear confirms the belief that the situation is too overwhelming to cope with. This may succeed in reducing anxiety in the present but will definitely increase it the next time, since the situation or object will inevitably be faced sooner or later. Over time, avoidance feeds an anxiety, making it feel more overwhelming and insurmountable to deal with.
How to Break It:
The best way to beat avoidance is through gradual exposure. Gradual exposure has to do with confronting your fears in small, manageable steps. For example, if one fears public speaking, then he should commence speaking in front of a small group of friends or family and work his way up the ladder in ascending order to larger groups. Gradually facing fears helps build resilience and decreases anxiety associated with those situations.
How-to Tip: Make a list of what you avoid because of the anxiety. Rank them from low to high in terms of the degree of anxiety, and then start working through them, beginning with the one that creates the least anxiety.
4. Overindulging in Caffeine and Sugar
Two of the better-known stimulants are caffeine and sugar. While a cup of coffee or something sweet may jump-start your energy immediately, the aftermath just may be what is required to make anxiety worse. Both of these work on the nervous system to raise heart rate, create restlessness, and even jitters-physical sensations much like those that come from anxiety.
Why It Worsens Anxiety:
Caffeine and sugar can put your body into “fight or flight” mode, which can trigger or worsen the physical symptoms of anxiety, like a racing heart and jittery nerves. Long-term, it can set up a feedback loop wherein the physical symptoms from the caffeine or sugar intake lead to increased anxiety.
How to Break It:
Start with weaning off caffeine and sugar to avoid withdrawal symptoms, then substitute such items for herbal teas, fruits, and nuts. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables stabilizes the levels of blood sugar and eliminates anxiety. Hydration is an added assistance since dehydration can give symptoms of anxiety, so drink plenty of water.
Action Tip: Gradually reduce caffeine and sugar intake. Try swapping your afternoon coffee with a decaf or herbal one; instead of sugary snacks, eat fruits or nuts.
5. Procrastination
Procrastination is another habit that often tends to heighten anxiety. While an individual may feel relieved while putting off tasks, especially important ones, pressure mounts with looming deadlines and therefore increased stress and anxiety. The more you delay, the more overwhelming it becomes, which creates an anxious cycle of avoidance.
Why It Worsens Anxiety:
Procrastination is piled-up anxiety because, with the running of time, the pressure of completion of the task starts to build. Many a time, the fear of failure or not being able to do a task perfectly results in procrastination, and further the anxiety resulting from it keeps on aggravating it.
How to Break It:
Smaller steps are probably one of the best ways to get past procrastination. Instead, focus on one small aspect of the task rather than the whole of it. Techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working in short bursts-usually 25 minutes-and then resting, should be applied. Another good method is positive reinforcement: give yourself rewards for completing each aspect of the task, no matter how minor, to give yourself a sense of accomplishment that will cut down on anxiety concerning procrastination.
Taking Action: How to Break Down big tasks into small steps, set the timer, and work for 25 minutes. After that, take a 5-minute break. Do the next step. Build momentum-reward yourself after every step taken.
6. Negative Self-Talk
Bad negative self-talk is like the worst thing that fuels anxiety. When you keep telling yourself something like, “I can’t do this,” or “I am not good enough,” you create an internal environment in which anxiety can truly thrive. This kind of inner dialogue only fortifies feelings of incompetence and fear, making it even harder to break free from anxiety.
Why It Worsens Anxiety:
Anxiety thrives in the mental space created by negative self-talk. The more one practices this, the more it is digested and absorbed into the brain, where feelings of fear, insecurity, and self-doubt build up proportionately. It can make even the most minor things seem completely overwhelming and riddled with anxiety.
How to Break It:
Start by paying attention to your inner dialogue. The instant you catch yourself indulging in some negative self-talk, challenge the thought with, “Is this true? Or “What’s the proof of this thought?”
Often, these are fear-based rather than fact-based.
Replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations such as, “I am capable,” “I can handle this,” or “I am enough.” Over time, such a shift in internal dialogue can help build self-confidence and eventually lessen anxiety.
How to Take Action: Maintain a log of negative thoughts that you have during a certain period of your life and intentionally act contrary to those thoughts. Write out each negative thought and then replace it with a positive affirmation. Watch how your attitude will change.
7. Not Exercising
Lack of physical activity increases the vulnerability of your body to stressors. Physical activity releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters that reduce your stress and anxiety. Typically, it leads to better sleep as well, and sleep is related to a good mental condition. With a lack of regular physical activity, your body does not have a healthy outlet for managing stress, which may increase anxiety.
Why It Worsens Anxiety:
When you’re not exercising, the body has lowered ability to deal with stress. Physical inactivity can cause tension, fatigue, and an accumulation of nervous energy-all of which will heighten anxiety. The routine action of exercise tends to lessen symptoms through the release of endorphins and the provision of relaxation. How to Break It: Making regular exercise a part of your schedule can be extremely useful in lessening anxiety. You do not have to begin with heavy exercises-the aerobic activities like brisk walking, yoga, and stretching go a long way in improving your mood and reducing anxiety levels. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. Find activities that you genuinely enjoy, so that exercising feels more like a reward than a chore. The idea is to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule in a way that it feels sustainable.
Be it walking, yoga, dancing, or stretching; every kind of exercise helps in keeping anxiety away.
Regular exercises help improve mood and mental health, which again promotes better sleep and thus, helps to maintain anxiety within the realms of control. How to Break It: If you don’t presently exercise, start off small. You don’t necessarily have to plunge into some form of aggressive exercise regime. You can start off with 10 to 15 minutes of movement added onto your day and build up the time or intensity when you feel more comfortable.
Some very basic things, such as going for a walk or stretching, even at times set up yoga exercises that may make quite a difference in one’s anxiety.
Over time, aim to include at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week.
Action Tip: Find something that you enjoy doing – walking, swimming, bicycling, or dancing. Set small goals and work yourself up. Keep a journal of how you feel after exercise, noting any positive effects on anxiety level.
Anxiety is an emotion which can really overwhelm a person. However, by learning to identify and break the following seven common habits of anxious people, you will put yourself back in the driver’s seat as regards your mental well-being. The anxiety may still be there, but it does not have to be a domineering presence in your life. Through small, achievable changes in everyday habits, your anxiety can be reduced significantly and feelings of peace and stability start to develop better.
Remember, these do take time, and your progress may be gradual. Be patient with yourself, and celebrate each step you move forward, no matter how small. Learning to trust yourself, practicing positive self-talk, and incorporating more exercise into your day-each positive change brings you closer to managing your anxiety even better. Small efforts accrued consistently over time amount to a long difference in the journey of mental well-being. The breaking of such anxiety-worsening habits is about progress, not perfection, whereby you can create a lifestyle that gives you mental and emotional health a shot to allow anxiety to loosen its noose on your life.