It's not an easy task to change the habits that are with you throughout life, but it's worth the effort if you want to reduce their anxiety.
The following 12 habits are common among those suffering from anxiety.
Skipping meals
Skipping meals causes hypoglycemia (when blood sugar falls below normal levels), which can lead to common anxiety symptoms such as irritability, nervousness, dizziness, and weakness.
Sweet cravings
Sugar has the ability to temporarily depress an area of the brain that is normally active during times of anxiety, stopping the release of the stress hormone (cortisol). This is why we can feel relief from anxiety when we eat something sweet. But scientific studies say that sugar consumption increases anxiety and reactivity to stress, leading to more anxiety.
Bad eating habits
Unhealthy eating habits can greatly affect the intake of essential nutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals—that are essential for mental health and nervous system function. Deficiencies in certain nutrients (vitamins B, vitamin C and E, magnesium, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids) can affect mood and anxiety levels.
Not exercising< /p>
Your body is designed to move, and some body functions depend on physiological movement. If you sit all day long and never exercise, your physical and mental health will suffer as a result.
Constantly watching the news
Anxiety is characterized by excessive worry and fear, and watching the news can exacerbate this problem, leaving you depressed and anxious. While it's especially important to be aware of what's happening in the country right now, watching or reading the news in the morning can set an alarming tone for the day, while negative images and words before bed can affect the quality of sleep. Try to avoid reading the news first thing in the morning and last thing before bed.
Ignoring anxiety
Your anxiety is a signal that is trying to indicate that you need to work on or change something. If you ignore this signal, the condition will only get worse.
Caffeine use
Caffeine is a major anxiety trigger. This link between caffeine and anxiety is not obvious because we temporarily feel good after consumption and we only feel the disturbing effects after a few hours.
Junk food abuse
Junkfood preferably contains chemical ingredients and additives. These ingredients added to food can contribute to anxiety while lowering mood and social behavior. The worst culprits are: artificial sweeteners, colors and flavor enhancers.
Insufficient water intake
Dehydration causes stress to your body, and when your body is under stress , you may experience general symptoms of anxiety.
Drinking alcohol
Although alcohol temporarily stimulates the «chemicals for happiness» in the brain (such as serotonin and dopamine), which makes you feel happier and less anxious, it also increases anxiety levels for hours after consumption. As the alcohol begins to fade, you are likely to feel more anxious, tired, and depressed than before drinking.
Lack of sleep
Sleep deprivation reinforces repetitive negative thoughts and makes it harder to let go of negative things—symptoms of anxiety.
Comparing yourself to others
In today's world with social media, we have instant access to images from people's lives, and we may not even notice this habit — to compare ourselves with others; But when you do this every day, you get bad moods and negative thoughts that lead to anxiety. Also, we tend to focus on someone's best features over our own weaknesses.