Anxiety is a complex condition. It is still very misunderstood in society today, despite millions of people being affected by it. In fact, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reported that 19.1% of adults in the United States have anxiety disorders, which shows the extent of this condition.
Learning how to identify what triggers the anxiety can make managing it so much easier. However, not many people understand how to do this. By finding the cause of your anxiety, you can learn strategies to cope with the feelings and live your life without the dark cloud of anxiety looming overhead.
In this post, three of the best ways to identify what triggers your anxiety are explained.
Table of Contents
Begin Writing in a Journal
Journaling is one of the most effective methods to uncover anxiety triggers. This allows you to keep a record of when you feel anxious and what led up to that moment. Writing down the symptoms of anxiety that you experience gives you the opportunity to review your reactions and look for patterns.
This does not need to be in a notebook; there are several apps that can help people track their anxieties. Many apps will have prompts that allow users to answer questions about how they have been feeling, what has happened recently, and so on.
With journaling or app tracking, you can identify what triggers your anxiety. This might take some time as it isn’t always clear after one or two entries; you should continue this for a few weeks before trying to find the stressors. Eventually, the act of journaling will benefit your wellbeing.
See a Therapist
Working with a therapist can be slightly daunting, but it is a useful way to unearth your negative thought patterns. Therapists are experienced in helping individuals find what triggers their anxiety and learn how to use healthy coping strategies to overcome anxiety.
There are multiple types of therapy available to people living with anxiety, such as cognitive behavioral, experiential, and psychodynamic techniques. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for example, is an incredibly effective treatment for anxiety disorders. This type of treatment focuses on changing the way a person thinks and behaves in relation to anxiety. It focuses on recognizing actions, emotions, and thoughts, and these factors help identify the anxiety triggers.
However, to benefit from anxiety therapy, you must find the right professional. You should feel comfortable with your therapist, you should feel understood and supported during your treatment. Only then will you be able to explore your thoughts and feelings.
Treat Yourself Kindly
With anxiety, it can be difficult to be patient with yourself. Anxiety causes negativity and unhelpful thinking patterns to develop, which can affect your self-esteem and overall wellbeing. By treating yourself with kindness and being patient as you react, you will be better prepared to explore events and feelings from your past to determine how they would affect you in the present.
Another factor in treating yourself kindly is to be honest with yourself. This will also assist you as you search for your anxiety triggers. It can be as simple as admitting when you feel anxious instead of trying to ignore that feeling; by acknowledging it, you can begin solving what has triggered the anxiety.
Learning to manage anxiety can be a time-consuming task, but it is easier when you learn to be kind to and patient with yourself. For tips on how to do this, click here.
With these three methods to identify anxiety triggers, people can begin to improve their everyday lives. It’s unfair that anyone should live half a life due to a mental health condition, which is why anyone with anxiety should have the tools to overcome it.