Common Habits Fueling Anxiety: Expert Insights
Anxiety is a prevalent but unwelcome emotion that often stems from common habits and thought patterns. Psychotherapists emphasize the significance of recognizing and addressing these behaviors to reduce anxiety’s impact.
- Black-and-White Thinking: Many individuals tend to see situations as either entirely good or bad, neglecting the nuances in between. This extreme thinking can lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety.
- Avoidance: Avoiding situations, places, or people that trigger anxiety may seem like a solution, but it ultimately exacerbates the problem. Gradual exposure to these triggers is recommended.
- Seeking Reassurance: Constantly seeking feedback or reassurance from others can create a never-ending cycle of worry. Short-term relief from reassurance-seeking often leads to long-term anxiety.
- Catastrophizing: Imagining the worst-case scenario and believing it’s likely to occur contributes significantly to anxiety. Shifting focus to potential solutions and coping strategies can be beneficial.
- Negative Self-Talk: Harsh self-criticism and self-doubt worsen anxiety. Becoming aware of negative self-talk is the first step towards reducing it.
- People-Pleasing: Prioritizing others’ needs and opinions over one’s own can lead to feelings of neglect and anxiety. Establishing boundaries and self-worth independent of external validation is crucial.
To combat these anxiety-inducing habits, therapists recommend grounding techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and sensory awareness. It’s also crucial to label and acknowledge these behaviors when they occur, distancing oneself from unhelpful thoughts. Seeking professional help is advised for a more in-depth understanding of underlying emotions that may contribute to anxiety. Recognizing and addressing these habits can significantly improve mental well-being.
Re-reported from the article originally published in The Huffpost
