Although anxiety is a normal human feeling, there are plenty of people out there who aren’t aware of that and may feel embarrassed, ashamed, or even angry about having anxiety.
Some things that might contribute to this include growing up in a family where feelings were denied, minimized, or ignored; learning that fear was weak or wrong; or, never learning effective, healthy coping skills.
When you consider that most people teach their children what they were taught, you see that unless there is new knowledge brought in, things will most likely stay the same.
Luckily, advances in mental and emotional health have skyrocketed over the past 50 years, leaving us with vastly different ideas and perceptions regarding things like anxiety. A very simple analogy would be to consider the difference between publicly-aired movies and TV programs from the 1950s—which often included words like, “stupid”, “dummy”, and “idiot”—and those of today where these deprecating words are no longer used.
As with most of the work I do, I come to this teaching not to flog our caregivers, but to deliver information that allows us to look at things differently and change our way of thinking. It’s my hope that sharing 7 of the most common anxiety triggers with you will allow you to identify and avoid them so you can take an active part in your own wellbeing.
Anxiety Trigger #1: Stress
When it comes to anxiety, this one is a no-brainer—well, almost. I say “almost” because there are still people out there who believe stress doesn’t affect them.
Unfortunately, stress does affect most people. In fact, a 2014 study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that 77% of people polled reported experiencing physical symptoms like fatigue or headaches due to stress. Another 73% of those polled reported experiencing psychological symptoms such as nervousness, irritability, or anger because of stress.
Stress can also lead to behaviors like skipping meals, drinking alcohol, or not getting enough sleep. These factors can trigger or worsen anxiety, too.
It’s normal to experience stress from time to time, so pay attention to how your body and mind respond to stressful situations. Next time a stressful experience occurs, you’ll be able to anticipate your reaction and it may be less disruptive.
Anxiety Trigger #2: Negative Self-Talk
If you grew up in a critical or harsh environment, you may have developed a harsh inner critic; this is a voice in your head that demeans, blames, or belittles you.
As you can imagine, environments like this aren’t exactly a breeding ground for empowerment or security. They can trigger insecurity and anxiety.
If you’re unsure about what kind of negative self-talk you have, spend a few hours every day for the next week monitoring your thoughts. You can also make a point of checking in with your thoughts immediately after feeling low emotions like sadness, envy, or jealousy; the thoughts you held in the time period prior to the emotions will likely reveal the cause.
Anxiety Trigger #3: Future Living
Plain and simple, anxiety or fear can result from worrying about the future, or things that haven’t occurred yet. Because we all tend to live in the past, present, or future at various times every day, the amount of time you spend worried about the future can have a direct impact on how you feel about yourself in the present.
Optimally, you want to spend as much time as you can in the present moment. If you spend time in the past you may notice that you experience sadness, guilt, or remorse by ruminating on things you wish were different. If, however, you spend too much time in the future, you may experience fear, doubt, and uncertainty by projecting negative events in the future.
Anxiety Trigger #4: Genetics
Just like people with blonde hair or green eyes have genes predisposing them to these things, others have genes that predispose them to anxiety. In fact, people with a family history of an anxiety disorder are more likely to have one themselves.
Anxiety Trigger #5: Your Environment
If you’ve ever spent time in an unhealthy environment, unhealthy relationship, or hostile work environment—the stress from these situations can all trigger anxiety. Additionally, high altitudes with low oxygen levels can also trigger anxiety. If you’ve recently experienced anxiety and haven’t uncovered the culprit yet, take a hard look at your environment; it may hold the clues you need.
Anxiety Trigger #6: Medication
If you suffer from anxiety, it’s a good idea to look into the side effects of the medications and supplements you take. Certain thyroid, heart, allergy, asthma, and other types of medications can create anxiety in some people. Only the drug maker or your doctor can tell you for sure, and it’s never a good idea to go off a medication without your doctor’s consent and monitoring, but it is a good thing to look into if you’re experiencing anxiety without a known cause.
Anxiety Trigger #7: Past Trauma or PTSD
If you’ve ever experienced a terrifying event, it may trigger anxiety or unpleasant memories for you. Although it’s easy to think, “I’m strong, I won’t let that bother me”, research on trauma shows that 70% of American adults reported experiencing a traumatic event at least once in their lives. Childhood abuse or neglect, grief and loss, and natural disasters can all cause trauma. Sadly, when it comes to things like covert abuse, neglect, or intergenerational issues, a person may not even realize they were traumatized. Unfortunately, if the emotions and feelings around a distressing event aren’t dealt with, anxiety, flashbacks, and isolation can ensue.
Personal triggers (a smell, place, or even a song) remind you, either consciously or unconsciously, of a bad memory or traumatic event in your life. Individuals with PTSD frequently experience anxiety triggers from environmental triggers. Identifying personal triggers may take time, but it’s important so you can learn to overcome them.
Don’t let anxiety ruin your life!
There is no shame in experiencing feelings of anxiety and not being okay. If you can identify and understand your triggers, you can work to avoid them and to use specific coping strategies to handle the triggers when they happen. While some level of anxiety is normal, if your anxiety is impeding your day-to-day life, you should seek professional help. A mental health specialist can help you find a treatment plan that eases your symptoms and helps you cope. The more you talk about your anxiety, whether it be with friends, family, mental health professionals, or even in a journal to yourself, the less power it will have in your daily life.
What does the future hold? Who knows! The only thing we can control is to be the best possible version of ourselves in the present moment. Surround yourself with people—personally and professionally—who are kind, nurturing, and understanding. Be proud of yourself for putting the work in and arming yourself with the right tools, resources, and positive self talk to identify and work through anxiety-inducing situations.