If problems due to excess anxiety are such a widespread problem among the population, it is, among other things, because there are a wide variety of situations that can fuel this type of discomfort.
In fact, in psychologists’ offices it is common to encounter people who enhance and perpetuate their anxiety without realizing it, simply reproducing in their daily lives a series of routines that favor the appearance of this phenomenon.
Here we will see a summary of the main Habits that may be causing you anxiety without you being aware of it.
These are some routines and customs that many people reproduce in their daily lives without realizing that they promote the appearance of excessively high levels of anxiety (with the problems that this entails).
1. Consume addictive substances
There is multiple evidence that consuming substances with addictive potential (whether legal or illegal) goes hand in hand with having a greater propensity to develop anxiety problems.
It is not only that those who experience more stress and anguish are at greater risk of approaching the world of drugs: in addition, the habit of consuming them is a ticking bomb in its emotional implicationsand even before most people realize they have a dependency problem, they become more anxious.
2. Not getting enough sleep
The quality of sleep is one of the first aspects of life that suffers due to stress, and at the same time, not having adequate control of the schedule we follow to sleep, favors the appearance and maintenance of high levels of anxiety. As in many other cases linked to stress and anxiety, There is a vicious circle that, at a certain point, is difficult to undo without psychotherapeutic help..
This is because the simple fact of sleeping poorly or not getting enough sleep for several days in a row (or almost in a row) produces such physical and psychological wear and tear that we are much more exposed to being overwhelmed by the challenges of everyday life.
For example, it is known that sleeping less than 6 hours for two consecutive days reduces working memory performance by more than 30%. Luckily, when we regain a good sleep schedule, these cognitive faculties recover, but until this happens, we are much more likely to express frustration, clumsiness, and irritability.
3. Make worrying a hobby
There are many people who They make a habit of turning over in their heads everything that worries them..
For example, spending days devoting several hours to reading on the Internet about possible diseases they may have, informing themselves about the symptoms of these pathologies, considering whether they fit with what they experience on a daily basis, etc.
Another example would be someone who must be taking exams throughout the university course and instead of studying regularly, they spend a lot of time thinking about when they should start reading their notes no matter what so as not to fail. or even look back to estimate the grade that you will never be able to achieve because you did not start preparing earlier.
It is a type of habit that is reflected in two psychological phenomena that enhance anxiety levels. On the one hand, psychological ruminationwhich consists of developing a propensity to suffer intrusive thoughts on a recurring basis, which disturb us and take up all of our attention.
On the other hand, analysis paralysiswhich consists of the fixation on not moving from theory to practice, for fear of facing emotionally painful situations in which what we feared is confirmed and that until that moment had only been confined to the world of our thoughts and our imagination.
Both act as an excuse that prevents us from facing our problem and trying to solve it in a constructive way.
4. Spend our free time without moving
A sedentary lifestyle increases anxiety. There are several explanations that attempt to put into words the psychological mechanism by which this occurs, but most likely it is a complex and multi-causal phenomenon.
On the one hand, the fact of not moving too much increases the probability of not interacting too much with others, and taking into account that Social isolation favors the appearance of depressive symptomsand that depression often overlaps with anxiety, it makes sense that it occurs.
On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle makes it more likely to end up developing unhealthy routines, which help raise anxiety levels.
A body prone to developing inflammatory processes due to wear and tear, for example, is more vulnerable to psychological disorders, since the body is too busy facing the most urgent “fronts” to worry about medium and long-term well-being.
Are you looking for psychological assistance for anxiety?
If in your daily life you notice discomfort due to anxiety and you are interested in having professional help to overcome this problem, contact us. In Advance Psychologists We have been helping people through our psychotherapy services for two decades, and we currently offer it both in person at our center located in Madrid and through online sessions by video call. On this page you can see our contact information.
