Put Down the Coffee! 6 Habits That Make Anxiety Worse

If you're like me, you live with anxiety every day. Even if most days you have it under control, it's always there— and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing! Anxiety is a part of who you are. At Women Out Loud, community, coaching, and tools empower you to turn your overwhelm into your superpower.

But let's talk about those days (or weeks, or months..) when your anxiety seems to be getting the best of you.

What's making your overwhelm worse?

Anxiety is often caused by things we can't control— like trauma, illness, etc.

But one thing we can control is our habits. Your habits could be increasing your feelings of anxiety without you even realizing it. I'm sharing six habits that make the overwhelm worse. Do any of these sound familiar?

Ignoring Your Anxiety

When you experience anxiety, that feeling is a signal to your body that something isn't right. If you ignore that alert, it will only get louder, and the fallout will suuuckkk!

Think of it like your alarm clock going off in the morning. You can press snooze and go back to sleep, but the next time it goes off, it'll seem louder than before. If you press snooze too many times or turn off your alarm, your day gets a whole lot sh**tier.

The longer you wait to deal with your anxiety, the bigger your problem becomes. It's important to address those feelings of anxiety as they happen and work to figure out what's going on. Identify your triggers and negative thought patterns before things get out of control.

Lack of Sleep

Studies show that people getting less than eight hours of sleep are more likely to have persistent negative thoughts. They also have a harder time letting go of bad thoughts (sounds like anxiety to me!) 

It's a vicious cycle. You can't sleep because you're anxious, and now you're even more anxious because you didn't sleep!

What can you do to break the cycle and get more sleep?

• Make bedtime a priority. 
• Avoid eating three hours before you go to bed.
• Make sure your room is dark and avoid screens (I know, this one bites!)
• Consistency is key! Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. The routine helps signal to your body that it's time for bed.

Overscheduling Yourself

Do you find yourself saying yes to every opportunity that comes your way? Every lunch invitation, every concert, every work project, every school event? Before long, your schedule is packed from dawn to dusk. Suddenly, you feel like you don't have time to breathe (classic trait of someone with high-functioning anxiety, but more on that later.)

Believe me, I know what that's like.

You drive yourself crazy with a hectic schedule and then wonder why you feel anxious. Even if you don't realize it, your brain needs a break! 

Psychotherapist Jill Laurie says, "people can decrease their anxiety by selectively choosing the most important tasks and foregoing others." She also recommends taking scheduled breaks throughout the day, "even if it's just closing your eyes and being quiet for five minutes."

Being Too Accessible

Women often feel immense pressure (even if it's internal) to be available at all times. Whether that means answering work calls on your day off, going out of your way to do a favor for a friend after work, or volunteering last minute to bring a snack to the PTA meeting. 

Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries!

If you fail to set healthy boundaries in all areas of your life, you'll end up doing many things you don't want to—simply because you'll feel guilty if you don't! Making decisions out of obligation rather than self-love only leads to resentment, feeling anxious, anger, and burnout.

Skipping Meals

Skipping meals can lead to many anxious symptoms—irritability, weakness, nervousness, and feeling light-headed. Just think about the last time you forgot to eat lunch. How did you feel in the evening? Calm, cool, and collected? Probably not. 

When you go too long without eating, your blood sugar dips below normal. That's why you can feel the physical and mental effects right away. 

The long-term effects of a poor diet have severe consequences for your mental health as well. Several studies link poor eating habits (like skipping meals) to anxiety and depressive disorders.

Your brain works hard all day— especially if you live with an anxiety disorder. Make sure you're giving it the fuel it needs so you can be the best version of yourself. Even if it's just a protein bar, your brain will thank you for the nutrients.

Drinking Coffee

Ok, so this one may be a bit obvious. If you're like me, one cup of coffee is all you need to head into a total tailspin. Your heart starts to race, and that feeling of anxiety starts to skyrocket. 

Why does this happen?

Caffeine increases your blood pressure and stress hormones. If you drink enough coffee, the level of stress hormones, cortisol, and epinephrine, can more than double! 

Caffeine also hurts the calming neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). GABA is often linked to relaxation and happiness, so it makes sense that a low GABA level can lead to increased anxiety.

Next time you go on a coffee run, opt for a decaf treat. You'll get all the same soothing and refreshing benefits without the caffeine craze.

High-Functioning Anxiety

If you have high-functioning anxiety, you may not feel the need to minimize these areas of pressure in your life. You might think, "It's fine. I'm handling it. If I don’t plan the office holiday party, no one else will.” Or, “I can stay up late watching one more episode. I need this to relax. I'll be fine tomorrow."

Sure, it looks like you've got it all together on the outside. But it only takes so long before the mask starts to slip. I promise that managing your anxiety (high-functioning or otherwise) will positively impact your happiness!

Since I care so deeply about you and your mental health (especially women in business... you are my obsession), I have a gift for you. You don't need to own a business to love this freebie:

Tracking triggers will help you to figure out if any of these things are triggers for you! It will help you to come into awareness around these these habits that may be making your anxiety worse. Download my free Trigger Tracker eBook to start looking at what could be triggering more anxiety in your day, Click here to download this amazing resource now!

Join Women Out Loud for Ongoing Community and Support

When you are at your best, that's when the magic happens. That's what Women Out Loud is all about. This Lady Squad is here to help women in business get their overwhelm under control and thrive in every aspect of their lives. Mental health is powerful, it's sexy, and it's worth it! Head to my website to learn more!