Feeling anxious? Here's why
Anxiety is a normal human emotion, but excess anxiety can disrupt everyday life.
Not all anxiety is the same both in how it presents (i.e., the symptoms people have) and the factors that contribute to it. When someone comes to a professional with an issue, they are looking for a solution. When it comes to many health issues, there is not one single fix. Saying that you have depression, anxiety, fatigue, or pain really tells us nothing about the solution because the causal and contributing factors are complex and overlapping.
Anxiety is so common and for good reason. Anxiety is information that tells us that we might not be safe and that we should prepare. However, excess anxiety can be crippling. Here are some of the contributing factors:
Thoughts and Beliefs - Our beliefs and thoughts influence our emotions. If we have negative and fearful thoughts (whether they are true or not) , anxiety will be felt. We can use cognitive techniques to challenge those beliefs and thoughts. If the thoughts are distorted, we can modify them and create a different emotion. If the thoughts are true, we can act in the present to change the situation or reduce the anxiety.
Caffeine - Some people metabolize caffeine very slowly and are more susceptible to feeling anxious with caffeine consumption. Even people without caffeine metabolism issues can feel anxious if they consume too much caffeine.
Sugar - Too much sugar creates a sensation of anxiety in the body. What is too much? It depends on a number of factors (i.e., genetics, overall stress, diet quality, health, etc.), but for some, even a little added sugar can be too much.
Nutrient Deficiencies - We can be nutrient deficient for many reasons including poor diet, poor soil, poor digestion/absorption, and more. Amino acids provide the building blocks for neurotransmitters. Getting nutrients like magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, GABA, L-tyrosine, L-theanine, L-tryptophan, and more can help. Oral supplements do require a healthy microbiome (gut health) to extract and utilize nutrients, so fixing intestinal permeability (i.e., leaky guy) is paramount and can be done under the guidance of a functional or integrative medicine provider.
Nature Deficiency - We evolved in connection with nature, and our modern day lives have taken us far from that. Time in nature has been shown to reduce anxiety and improve health.
Lack of Human Connection - Just as we evolved with connection in nature, we also evolved in relationship and connection with others. Our modern, screen-focused society disconnects us from real humans. The spectrum of connection ranges from casual hellos at the local coffee shop to deep conversation with a friend or loved one. Connecting on that spectrum helps us to feel less alone and makes the difficult parts of life more doable.
Poor Sleep - Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep makes problems worse. Lack of sleep can contribute to the other factors that induce anxiety like less connection with humans, craving sugar and foods that aren’t healthy, using screens more frequently, etc.
Excess Screentime - Screens are everywhere. Although we can’t avoid them completely, we can consciously choose how and when to use them. Using them to consume news or compare to social media influencers will create more anxiety. Using screens at night prevents melatonin production which inhibits sleep which perpetuates the anxiety cycle.
Gluten - You don’t have to have celiac disease to be negatively impacted by gluten. Research estimates that up to 15% of the population has non-celiac gluten sensitivity which means that an individual is negatively impacted by gluten even if blood tests or biopsy doesn’t show celiac. This is often due to intestinal permeability, and the sensitivity can be expressed with anxiety.
Sedentary Lifestyle - We are designed to move. Not only can movement and exercise help with anxiety and depression, but when we are moving and focused on the activity in which we are engaged, we have less space for rumination and negative thinking that leads to anxiety.
Environment - The environment consists of people, the air quality, the information we consume and more. If you are consistently exposed to critical people with negative thoughts, it’s more likely that you’ll feel anxious and negative. Toxins in the air can also contribute to anxiety. And the information we expose ourselves to (news, negative stories, social media) can also contribute to feeling anxious.
If reading all of those factors left you feeling anxious, let’s take a look at the thoughts leading to that feeling. Perhaps you are thinking, “This is overwhelming. There is too much to do.” What if you looked at the list with the thought, “There are so many little things I can do to feel better. I’ll pick one and begin working with it.” The second set of thoughts is much more empowering and motivating. So, if you have been experiencing excessive anxiety, pick one of those factors from the list and create one small change you can make. Now, make that smaller. For example, if you picked sugar, instead of saying, “I will remove all added sugar from my diet,” start with something more achievable like, “I will not buy cookies at the grocery store tomorrow.” You want to create and build integrity with yourself by being able to complete the goal that you set to achieve.
This is a long-game. When you make improvements to the facotrs on this list, your anxiety will improve. AND, so will your overall health. Symptoms like anxiety, depressed mood, fatigue, pain, etc. are often indicators that something is off at a foundational level. Start making these little changes, and watch your health, mindset, and relationships improve!