Learning what triggers anxious feelings in your body is key to controlling your anxiety.
If you understand what gives you anxiety, you’re better able to prepare for those situations and control your response to them.
While no two people get anxiety for the same reasons, there are some commonalities among the top causes of this condition.
Money
Almost three-quarters of the population report feeling anxious over money, or rather the lack of money.
Interestingly, this anxiety trigger is not age-specific, although the actual money concerns are different based on age.
A single mother may be worried about putting food on the table, but a single college student could be stressing out about tuition or housing payments.
Creating a budget can help ease money-related anxiety because it can increase your control over the situation.
Health
Health is another primary anxiety trigger, and it has only worsened since the COVID-19 crisis.
This specific anxiety-producing factor has become more prevalent since the advent of the Internet and 24-hour media coverage.
People used to have to go to the doctor to find out if they had a medical condition or not, but now they’re able to access medical advice online, and it’s not always accurate.
However, when they learn they could have a deadly disease, they become anxious.
The best way to avoid this trigger is to refrain from looking up symptoms online and only get medical advice from a licensed doctor.
Relationships
You can’t have relationships without conflict, and those conflicts or the potential for conflicts often cause anxiety.
No one likes to get into arguments with people they love, but they happen, and if you don’t get them resolved right away, the anxiety can fester and become more severe.
A good way to anticipate this anxiety-producing condition is to set boundaries for arguments with your loved ones during a time when you’re not arguing.
This way, you can invoke the rules and make sure the argument is well-controlled as you work to resolve it.
Work-Related Pressure
As we’ve already learned, money can cause immense amounts of stress, and money is related to work.
Therefore, pressures at work can also lead to anxiety, especially if you’re worried about performing up to the expectations of your superiors.
The reason this causes so much anxiety is that you are always a little worried, in the back of your mind, that you could lose your job and thereby lose your income.
You probably won’t alleviate all the pressures related to your job, but you can minimize their impact by designating a time when you’re not thinking about work at all.
Unplug from email and your phone so that you can enjoy time away from this pressurized environment.
Everyday Situations
Unfortunately, some everyday situations cause anxiety that may be difficult to deal with because they pop up unexpectedly.
These are things like running late, excessive traffic, unpleasant interactions with other people, and more.
While you can’t avoid all of these things, you can prepare yourself for some of them, like leaving your house early to avoid being late or choosing a different route when you know a road is backed up with traffic.
Taking the time to plan ahead can help you avoid these stressful circumstances.
Conclusion
Identifying the factors that cause anxiety in your life can help you better cope with stress when it does occur.
You won’t be able to avoid anxiety-producing situations all the time, but you can learn to recognize when you normally become anxious so that you can develop a plan to lower your stress level before it gets out of control.