As festive as this time of year can be, it can also be chaotic and bring on anxiety, and many of us are wary of making it worse.
Dealing with anxiety is a struggle many people face, whether it’s consistently or every once in a while. Sometimes, it feels like experiencing anxiety is something totally out of our control. While that might be true, there are things in our control that can either make anxiety worse or help it lighten up a bit. Using information from health experts, we’re listing four daily habits that could be silently ‘worsening’ your anxiety. Read more about them below.
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1. Not Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important parts of our daily routine, and some believe that any amount of sleep is healthy, but in reality, one of the best ways to take care of yourself is to get a decent amount of hours every night. This is especially true in relation to anxiety.
"Sleep is essential for mental well-being. And if you regularly don't get enough sleep, it could be making your anxiety worse," wrote the Boston Neurobehavioral Associates. "Going to bed late, struggling to stay asleep at night, and waking up too early can all create a vicious circle that negatively impacts your mental health. Poor or inadequate sleep makes the stress of daily life harder to handle, and high stress levels can disrupt your sleep even more."
2. Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Have you been feeling like you're juggling too much lately? Then you just might be spreading yourself too thin. This can look like a lot of things - trying to see too many friends or people in one week, booking too many plans on the weekend, taking on numerous projects at work, etc. It's easy to spread yourself too thin, especially if you love being active and productive, but it can take its toll on your anxiety.
"Stretching ourselves too thin makes it difficult for us to stay in tune with our mind and body and leaves little time for self-care, which is especially important for those with anxiety disorders," writes Dr Sagnik Mukherjee. "We're also more likely to use crutches such as caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine to help us cope when we feel overwhelmed, which can make anxiety worse."
3. Using Too Much Screen Time
You're likely tired of getting told you shouldn't be on your phone too often throughout the day, and there are reasons for that. Excess screen time and too many hours spent on social media have been found to be more and more harmful to our mental health, as even if we're looking at a lot of positive content, the act of scrolling all day can be damaging.
"Whether it's doomscrolling the news before bed or mindless phone use throughout the day, screens drive anxiety and interfere with restful sleep," wrote the Boston Neurobehavioral Associates. "The constant stream of notifications can keep your nervous system in a state of alert, making it harder to truly relax and leaving your anxiety symptoms feeling ever-present."
4. Being Dehydrated
Like sleep, drinking water is an essential part of life and a healthy well-being. You might not think there's much correlation between drinking water and your anxiety, but staying dehydrated most days can make anxiety worse.
"We all know H2O does the body good," wrote Dr Sagnik Mukherjee. "From keeping us hydrated so we feel energized, to flushing out toxins and improving our complexion, to boosting our immune systems, water is where it's at, but what few people realize is that dehydration can make the symptoms of anxiety worse. When you don't drink enough water, your heart starts racing, and you begin to feel sick and lightheaded, which can make you feel as though you're having an anxiety attack. Make sure to drink at least eight ounces of water per day, and invest in a fruit infuser water bottle to add a little kick to your H2O."
