Research shows that anxiety can manifest in different ways in our bodies. Irritability, stress, fatigue, restlessness, and disturbed sleep are some of the consequences you have to deal with if you’re experiencing anxiety.
People try to lessen their anxiety by developing coping mechanisms that can worsen their anxiety, and they’re not even aware of it.
Here are a few mistakes people make if they’re dealing with anxiety.
1. Putting Too Much Effort Trying to Reduce Your Anxiety
They say less is more. If you put too much effort into keeping your anxiety inside and suppressing your true emotions, they’ll spring back harder than you realize. Most of the coping mechanisms for suppressing your anxious thoughts backfire because you’re not accepting it as a part of you.
Think about a pot of boiling water on the stove. If you turn the stove off, the boiling will stop. But if you increase the heat and keep the lid on, it’ll boil over. Your anxiety is the same. You need to listen to what your anxiety’s telling you and manage it accordingly.
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2. Making Anxiety Your Enemy
Your anxiety is a part of you, and you need to treat it as one. It can get you down on some days and keep you on edge, but it’s definitely not your enemy. Because of your anxiety, you plan backups, double-check details, and be cautious about any potential harm. Thinking about anxiety only negatively can increase the chaos in your mind and body.
3. Adapting the Avoidant Behavior
Avoiding your triggers to keep the anxiety at bay makes sense. But they get worse in the long run because you end up with avoidant behavior. Avoiding social situations becomes a central point of your personality. Facing your triggers will help you overcome them eventually. Suppressing and avoiding them will only manifest their fear more in you.
Ask a Professional for Help!
You don’t have to worry too much as these are non-destructive patterns that you can remedy by replacing them with healthier ones. All you need is a safe course of psychotherapy to help you manage anxiety in healthy ways.
ZIKS Health Services is a Dallas, TX-based mental health services provider. Our psychotherapy and lifestyle coaching services can help you develop healthy patterns to deal with anxiety. Contact us to learn more about their services.