Identify Your Triggers: The Secret To Lowering Anxiety

By Mary Claire Schibelka, LPC

Every year, about 40 million people, or 18% of the US population1, report struggling with anxiety.  Anxiety is a mental, emotional, and physical experience characterized by worry, tension, overthinking, insomnia, panic, and in severe cases, symptoms like rapid heart beat, trouble breathing, sweating, and feeling unreal or out of control.  If you struggle with mild anxiety, such as slight overthinking about work, or severe symptoms, like full out panic attacks, tracking your symptoms and identifying your triggers may be the answer.

Read on to learn how to identify and track anxiety triggers in order to reduce or even eliminate anxiety altogether.

Lack of Sleep

Research indicates that missing even one night of sleep can cause more activity in areas of the brain associated with anxiety2. If you work late hours or stay up doing homework, socializing, or scrolling through social media, you may feel more anxious the next day than if you’d had an adequate night’s sleep.  Aim for 7-9 hours of shut eye per night to promote healthy brain functioning.

Caffeine

A while back, I wrote an article on the mental health benefits of caffeine. While caffeine may benefit some, it may cause spikes in anxiety for others.  Everyone’s body is different.  Pay attention to how your system reacts to caffeine, and go for decaf or half-caf if necessary.

Changes In Blood Sugar

If you are diabetic, you may already be familiar with this.  However, even if you’re not, skipping meals can cause low blood sugar, which causes jitteriness and anxiety.  Make it a goal to eat three well-balanced meals per day, plus snacks, in order to avoid unnecessary anxiety.

Social Triggers

Social events, like parties, can be very anxiety-provoking for some.  So can ruptures in social relationships, such as conflict or a romantic breakup.  Learning communication skills and conflict resolution strategies, leaning on friends for support, and talking to a therapist can help you manage anxiety caused by social experiences.

Overpacking Your Schedule

For many, feeling productive can ease anxiety, but a schedule that’s too busy can create anxiety.  Make sure that you’re planning breaks throughout your work days.  Be intentional about planning alone time for rest and reflection.  Being careful not to over-plan can also help make sure you’re eating and sleeping enough, thus further reducing anxiety.

Isolation

On the flip side, too much alone time can also cause anxiety.  People are social beings.  Even if you’re an introvert, make sure you’re spending time with others regularly.  Now that the pandemic is coming to an end, opt for in-person hangouts for a richer experience.

Alcohol

Alcohol in the right amounts can be a stress reliever for some.  Others report that even one glass of wine can cause them to experience anxiety, usually the next day.  Be mindful of how you feel before, during, and after drinking.  If you’re drinking as a form of self-medication or experiencing unpleasant mood symptoms during or after drinking, consider cutting alcohol out.

How To Track Triggers

Recently, a client of mine introduced me to the mood tracking app, Daylio.  Daylio allows you to rate your mood multiple times per day and select activities you engaged in that day, such as walking, sex, drinking, and more.  You can also enter notes about your thoughts and feelings.

With Daylio, you can also view graphs representing your moods over time and export your mood log to a spreadsheet, so you can share it with your therapist or keep it for your own records.

Using Daylio or other mood tracking apps can help you identify your anxiety triggers.  Journaling your moods, daily activities, meals, sleep, and alcohol consumption can also work if you prefer a more low-tech tracking strategy.

Identifying anxiety triggers takes time and awareness.  At first, it can seem like work, but once you start learning what triggers your anxiety- and therefore how to avoid it- the process is completely worth it.  For more information on anxiety or to begin working with a therapist trained in anxiety-reduction techniques, reach out to a counselor at ELEVATED Life Counseling.

Related Articles:

3 Strategies To Help You End Relationship Anxiety for Good

Restaurant Anxiety:  Dining Out While Recovering from an Eating Disorder

3 Tips To Help You Kiss Dating Anxiety Goodbye

In Defense of Caffeine

By Mary Claire Schibelka, LPC

Drip, cortado, pour-over, Sumatra, fair-trade, draft nitro cold brew- twenty years ago, these terms might have easily been confused with those of a foreign language, but for Millennial coffee drinkers, such are part of standard vernacular.  Millennials drink about 44% of coffee in the United States, and with smartphones delivering neverending emails, an obsession with productivity, and lucrative side hustles, it’s no wonder they need the extra boost.  

Also intrigued by essential oils, alkaline water, and yoga, Millennials appear to be pursuing wellness with more fervor than past generations.  For many, caffeine intake is a concern due to its often debated impacts on physical and mental health.

No doubt, caffeine can have its consequences.  When overused, it can cause symptoms like insomnia and anxiety.  Caffeine can also have addictive properties similar to those of less socially-accepted drugs.  Heavy coffee drinkers can experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, depression, strong cravings, and irritability after skipping only one morning of java.  Caffeine also has a tolerance-building effect, much like alcohol, which requires users to consume more in order to feel its desired effects.

The unpleasant side-effects of too much caffeine can seem scary, causing some to avoid it altogether.  According to a report by the American Psychological Association, however, when used in moderation, caffeine actually may contribute to desirable mental health outcomes.

One study cited in the report found after following over 50,000 nurses for almost 25 years that those who drank at least four cups of coffee per day were 20 percent less likely to experience depression than those who drank little to no coffee.  Similarly, a study of 43,000 men determined that drinking 2 to 3 cups of joe per day is correlated with a 50 percent reduced risk of suicide.  Caffeine is also associated with cognitive benefits such as alertness, increased memory ability, and quicker reaction times.

A 2017 Harvard Medical School report cited studies declaring that 3 to 5 cups of coffee per day can reduce the risk of physical health conditions including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, cirrhosis, and gout.  While dated research indicated that coffee might cause certain types of cancer, these claims have since been refuted, causing the World Health Organization to remove coffee from its list of potentially carcinogenic foods in 2016.  In fact, newer research suggests that coffee might actually reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and increase one’s lifespan by up to 15%.

This is great news to those who enjoy a hit- or four- of daily caffeine, but is it reason enough to give into every craving?  According to the Food and Drug Administration, a daily consumption of 400 milligrams of caffeine or less is considered safe.  This equates to about 3 or 4 cups of home-brewed coffee or one venti Starbucks brewed coffee.  Any more, and you’re at risk of experiencing side effects and even entering the “Caffeine Use Disorder” zone, made note of in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5) and trademarked by unsuccessful efforts to reduce consumption, use despite harm, and withdrawal.

While moderate caffeine consumption has been deemed permissible and even beneficial, those who don’t currently partake need not begin.  Caffeine is not a requirement for an alert and healthy life.  A regular sleep schedule, hydration, and consistent intake of nutrients through food are sufficient to achieve the same results as those of a caramel macchiato.

Current coffee connoisseurs, rest assured that you can continue to imbibe without guilt.  Use good judgment by noticing how your body reacts to each serving of caffeine, and pour out the pot when you think you’ve hit your limit.  Practice moderation, drink mindfully, and as always, enjoy life’s simple pleasures, lattes included.