9 unsuspecting, underlying causes of your anxiety
While most treatment for anxiety centers around medication and cognitive work, it is unfortunate that anxiety can be a symptom of other physiological issues that won’t necessarily be addressed through a traditional medicine lens. Anxiety can be a manifested symptom of a number of issues and understanding each and every one may offer you clarity in order to reduce it. Dr. Ellen Vora refers to this issue as ‘false anxiety.’ While this does not diminish the discomfort that this type of anxiety can bring to the individual, it simply delineates between anxiety that is a result of a physiological/lifestyle concern versus ‘true anxiety’ which is much more deeply rooted. Our brains are always trying to make meaning of our environment in roder to keep us safe. That said, any kind of physical disarray, as you’ll learn more about below, will lead our brain down a vicious rabbit hole of, ‘why must I be feeling this way?"‘ The brain is quick to attach it to something in the external world: my boss must be mad at me, my girlfriend is going to break up with me, the barista is judging me for my coffee order — the list goes on. We attach ourselves to these thoughts and then that’s where the anxiety perpetuates — yet in reality, it was always something underneath the surface to begin with. Read on to understand what might be happening in actuality and how to mitigate the problem today.
The increase in anxiety in this country, likely partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is heartbreaking. Fortunately, there are several lifestyle pieces to this puzzle that we are more often than not, unaware of. Consider how the following concepts may be contributing to, if not fueling, your anxiety and start today in better managing it.
1. Nutritional deficiencies: Nutritional deficiencies are widespread and affect nearly every individual in the American population. We could be consuming the healthiest diet, but given the shift in the mineral density of our soil, our physiological health, and a host of other facts, we could still be living in a state of deficiency. Nutritional deficiencies in certain micronutrients, for example, magnesium, can result in symptoms of anxiety — nearly 70% of Americans are deficient in this critical mineral so consider how this may be relevant to you and your circumstances. Deficiencies, in general, knock the body out of balance and can inhibit normal functioning. That said, symptoms of anxiety can result due to this imbalance and it is important to understand how you can best support your body in managing it.
2. Your relationship with technology: With an increase in technology in our daily lives, there, too, has been an increase in anxiety nationwide. While there are likely many contributing factors to this increase, consideration must be drawn to the influence that constant exposure to screens has on our mental health. Our stress responses are not meant to handle perpetual exposure to news, media, etc. Individuals of all ages are impacted by comparison traps and newsfeeds filled with highlight reels that sometimes we become so disconnected from our reality. Check in with yourself — how might you reexamine your relationship with technology?
3. Hormonal issues and imbalances are another common culprit of anxiety. Experiencing anxiety is common when our hormones are out of whack, which appears to be a prominent issue nationwide, and is oftentimes, overlooked. Addressing these issues through quality supplements, proper nutrition, and professional guidance can help rebalance and restore homeostasis within your body.
4. Hunger: Please eat! Feeling hungry or depriving yourself of food leads to a variety of different issues — including anxiety. When we deprive our body of fuel, we are putting ourselves in a space of stress which inevitably can lead to symptoms of irritability, worry, and general anxiety.
5. Hangovers — otherwise known as ‘Hangxiety.’ Following alcohol consumption, your body is working to metabolize the alcohol and restore equilibrium within the body which can generate a feeling of uneasiness and/or hangover anxiety. Being aware of how your relationship with anxiety may be influencing your symptoms of anxiety is huge. Alcohol use can also contribute to issues like Leaky Gut, which is well known to be an underlying root cause of anxiety. General evaluation of your relationship with alcohol will offer you clarity into your health in both a physical and mental capacity.
6. Leaky gut or gut issues; 95% of your serotonin is made in your gut. The gut is responsible for a number of other neurotransmitter, hormone, and nutrient production and has an influence in a multitude of other processes body-wide. With that said, issues within the gut, leaky gut, gut dysbiosis , bacterial overgrowth, and more all contribute to malfunction within the gut. The gut is often referred to as ‘the Second Brain’ and gut feelings hold truth to their name. The gut also has a bidirectional relationship with the brain, impacted brain health directly. Symptoms of anxiety are linked closely with digestive issues (in fact, a large percentage of irritable bowel diagnoses overlap with anxiety disorders) and a closer look at the gut should be considered if they are present for you.
7. Strong coffee or coffee without breakfast, and caffeine — because caffeine can stimulate the ‘fight or flight’ response, or our stress response, this can influence anxiety levels and exacerbate anxiety that may already be present. Furthermore, coffee on an empty stomach drives up cortisol levels, a stress hormone, which can influence our mood. If you are a regular coffee drinker and experience symptoms of anxiety, it may be helpful to experiment with reducing your coffee intake or swapping it out for herbal tea or matcha. I love the brand Pique as an option for high quality matcha — while matcha contains caffeine, it also contains L-theanine, often referred to as ‘Nature’s Xanax.’ Shop here for 15% off your subscription!
8. Sleep deprivation: considered 6.5 hours of sleep or less, your stress response is activated when the body is not given enough rest — this can generate symptoms of anxiety. Your body needs sleep in order to reset and recover and without it, it will not function optimally. Sleep deprivation contributes to a host of other issues that compromised physical and emotional wellness and improving your sleep hygiene is one of the best non-nutritional actions you can take to optimize your health.
9. Blood sugar imbalances/sugar crashes are one of the biggest culprits! An unstable blood sugar results in a roller coaster of highs and lows, spikes and crashes, that can generate feelings of anxiety. It can also influence us to feel more lethargic, sluggish, fatigued, promote difficulty focusing, and brain fog. We often then reach for another coffee, or a dose of sugar, to combat this low which then perpetuates the cycle. Stabilizing your blood sugar throughout the day is essential to mitigate this experience — this is a huge fundamental component of focus that my clients and I work on from week to week as it has enormous returns on both physical and mental health.
If any of these sound relevant to you, I am here to support you in making a change. Schedule a free consultation below.
