476: 5 Common anxiety triggers to watch out for
We’re covering five common causes of anxiety to be mindful of. Listen in to know the triggers to look out for and how to stop them from escalating your anxiety.
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Points covered in this episode:
Overstimulation
Ayurveda (India’s ancient science of life) teaches that the over-stimulation of the nervous system is the leading underlying cause of anxiety.
Too much incoming information overloads our nervous system. Social media, news, intense movies, noise, change.
Many of us live with constant noise and visual stimulation, even when we’re in bed trying to sleep there may be the rumble of traffic or aircraft or some other noise – these things are agitating to our nervous systems, and our nervous system becomes overwhelmed and overtaxed, and then we start to experience anxiety.
Ayurveda teaches that the mind is very sensitive and easily disturbed.
That is true for all of us; it is the nature of the mind to be disturbed. Accepting that fact and knowing how to help the mind feel safe and calm is one of the great lessons of personal development.
Find out more about calming anxiety with Ayurveda and understanding your mind/body type with an Ayurvedic lifestyle consultation with Ananga.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a primary culprit in provoking anxiety.
Symptoms caused by caffeine include:
- sleep disturbance
- adrenal fatigue
feeling wired, anxious, or shaky
Coffee doesn’t give energy, it sets off a reaction in the body that provokes stress hormones to provide a burst of alertness.
Caffeine jolts the body into flight or fight mode.
Most relevant for Anxiety Slayer listeners to note is that caffeine can spark anxiety episodes because it can make us feel like we’re having an episode.
The physical responses to caffeine can feel the same as the symptoms of anxiety.
For example:
- increased heart rate
- feeling unsettled and restless
- sweating or trembling
Look out for caffeine in over-the-counter medications, as well as in coffee and energy drinks.
Looping “what if” thoughts
When unwanted thoughts arise, they often trigger an anxiety story in our head - something we fear, something we want to avoid at all costs, but the mind gets hold of the thought and starts expanding it into anxious predictions and possible outcomes and we get dragged along for the ride.
What helps? We need to be mindfully engaged in whatever we’re doing. Even if it’s chopping vegetables, washing dishes, taking a shower, whatever the activity is, we need to practice being present in the moment.
You can discover more about dissolving with unwanted thoughts in our How to Calm Your Fragile Mind Course
Lack of routine
(again from Ayurveda) Change can increase anxiety. Especially for the vata body type. We become unsettled and ungrounded when our days are disordered and erratic.
Set yourself a daily routine and follow it as much as possible: Try and get up and go to bed at the same time each day Eat regular meals - this will also help keep your blood sugar steady
Eat breakfast: Try a warm nourishing breakfast like oatmeal made with almond milk with some chopped dates and cinnamon.
Bring Warmth into your day: warm baths soft, warm bed
Pressure/expectations
Practice replacing the need to be perfect and simply show up in your best light.
Please stop being too hard on yourself
What helps?
Replace your expectations with invitastions and intentions
Self-compassion - Be gentle and loving with yourself
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