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25 Things that Might Cause Anxiety - Wendy Leeds weighs in!
1. Sunday night. aka the "Sunday night scaries." The fear of having to go back to work, or to face a difficult week.
2. The need to be perfect. The need to perform perfectly, act perfectly or be perfect can keep us from trying new things, or finishing things.
3. Money Worries. Worry about money can keep people trapped in jobs they hate. Worry about finances and budgets can keep us up at night and make you feel like failures.(Women are much more likely to worry about money, and no wonder. They still make less than their male counterparts, save less money for retirement, but tend to live 7 years longer than men).
4. Medication. There are a number of medications that can make us anxious. It's important to look at the medications you're taking to see if a side effect could be anxiety
5. Caffeine. Caffeine impacts us all differently, but for some people caffeine can cause a significant increase in anxiety.
6. Insomnia.As anyone who has trouble sleeping knows, lack of sleep can make us anxious. Not only that, being anxious can cause insomnia.
7. Morning Anxiety. Some people wake up anxious. And now we know there's a reason why. The chemistry of waking can actually make us anxious.
8. Fear of speaking up for yourself. So many people with good ideas, or something important to share, stay silent for fear that they're wrong, or their idea "isn't good enough."
9. Fear of public speaking. Getting up in front of people is a really common fear. The fear of being laughed at, at failing or that people will realize you're "not good enough," keeps so many of us from standing up for ourselves
10. Fear of separation. Children fear being parted from their parents, and parents often feel the same way. We can all fear being separated from those we love. It's a dangerous world and being unable to protect or be protected by people you love and trust can be terrifying.
11. Phobias of snakes, spiders and crawly things. Some phobias are annoying but don't really impact our lives. If for instance you're afraid of snakes, but live in a city, chances are you'll be able to come and go without fear. But if you're afraid to ride in an elevator or take the escalator, that might be a problem
12 Physical anxiety. Our bodies can make us anxious. Some disorders including thyroid disease, heart issues and gut issues can cause anxiety.
13. Trauma of any kind can make us feel unsafe in the world and cause anxiety. But it's important to realize it doesn't have to be a catastrophic event that causes the trauma, it can be something minor that has a huge and personal impact on us. Trauma can also be caused by witnessing trauma, or even hearing about it. If something that happens that frightens you and causes symptoms. That's trauma, and should be addressed.
14. Relationship issues. Worry about "being good enough," or whether or not you're deserving of other people's time can keep someone from starting new relationships, developing long term relationships and can drive people closest to us away.
15. Worry about health. The fear that your every little ache or pain is a serious health issue can be terrifying and debilitating. For some people this fear can keep them from going to their health care professional. For others, it can cause them to make and keep repeated medical appointments.
16 Fear of aging. We live in a society that values youth, while we ignore the wisdom and grace that comes with growing older. So, not only do we fear the physical changes that happen to our bodies as we age, we also fear the loss of dignity, respect and meaning that can happen as we're "put out to pasture."
17. Fear of being alone or not being "connected." We're so used to being connected to the world through our devices that we're not used to being alone. That fear can cause us to stay plugged in 24/7, to have the TV on day and night, or for some people to talk constantly in order to make sure they're "connected" with the people around them.
18.Fear of change. Change is tough and scary. Most of us like our daily routines. We feel comfortable doing the same thing the same way, because change comes with a risk. It might make things better, but it might not. When things change we're no longer in control and that can be terrifying. So, many of us will put up with things that are not "okay", rather than try and change them.
19 Fear of not pleasing the people in our life. We all want to be liked. We all want to be respected and heard. And for some of us that means, we put our own needs aside in order to take care of everyone else. We say "yes," when we really want to say "no." And when we don't acknowledge our own needs, power and strength, that can make us feel vulnerable and anxious.
20 Anxiety around food can be a real issue. What we eat makes a difference in how we feel. Eating a diet high in sugar and processed foods can make us anxious. Both over eating and under can be a symptom of anxiety, as well as a cause of anxiety.
21 Fear of being in a crowd. Fear of being trapped in a crowded place can keep people from leaving home, from going anywhere new, or from important functions and events.
22. Fear of travel. Fear of flying, driving or fear of any other mode of transportation can keep us from seeing the world, and limit our life.
23 The shame and guilt of past events. The fear that the people around you will find out what you did in the past, how you failed and that "You're not good enough." can make us anxious. And that fear can run our lives.
24. Fear that something terrible is about to happen. Worrying about the future and focusing on lists of things that could eventually go wrong can make us really anxious. The more we focus on doom and gloom, the worse we feel.
25. Fear caused by the media. It appears these days that the media is focused on sharing stories that make us feel afraid, or angry or anxious. Watching or listening to the news can make you feel like life is dangerous and there's nothing we can do about it.
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