Unmasking Anxiety Triggers: 6 Habits That Could Be Making It Worse

Rachel Lyon-Jukes
Apr 26
3 min read

Anxiety can feel like an uninvited guest that overstays its welcome—showing up when you least expect it and making even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming. While some causes of anxiety are outside our control, certain everyday habits quietly feed it, making things worse without us even realising it. In this post, we’ll shine a light on 5 common habits that might be fuelling your anxiety so you can start making small changes that lead to big relief.

Too Much Caffeine

A morning coffee is sacred, but when one cup turns into three (or more), your nervous system starts to pay the price. Caffeine stimulates the “fight or flight” response in the body, which can mimic or amplify anxiety symptoms like a racing heart, restlessness, and jitteriness.

Try this: Cut back slowly or switch to lower-caffeine options like green tea. And definitely avoid caffeine late in the day if sleep is a struggle

Skipping Meals

When your blood sugar drops, your body can respond with symptoms similar to anxiety—like shakiness, irritability, and brain fog. Skipping meals or eating highly processed foods can make your mood and energy levels swing wildly.

Try this: Keep balanced snacks on hand, and aim for regular meals with protein, healthy fats, and whole grains to keep your blood sugar stable.

Avoiding Exercise

It’s hard to get moving when you're anxious, but not moving makes it worse. Physical activity helps burn off stress hormones and boosts mood-lifting chemicals like endorphins and serotonin.

Try this: You don’t need to hit the gym. A brisk walk, a few minutes of stretching, or dancing around your living room all count.

Overcommitting

Saying “yes” to everything—social events, work projects, errands—might feel productive or people-pleasing in the moment, but it can quickly lead to overwhelm. When your plate is too full, anxiety follows close behind.

Try this: Practice saying “no” without guilt. Protect your downtime like it’s an appointment with your mental health (because it is).

Negative Self-Talk

You might not even notice it, but the voice in your head can be your biggest bully. Constantly criticising yourself or catastrophizing every situation trains your brain to expect the worst.

Try this: Start catching those thoughts and challenging them. Ask yourself, “Is this true? Is this helpful?” Replacing “I can’t handle this” with “I’m doing my best right now” goes a long way.

Avoiding Your Emotions

Stuffing feelings down, distracting yourself constantly, or pretending everything’s fine? That emotional avoidance builds pressure over time. What you resist persists, and anxiety loves to hide in the things you haven’t dealt with yet.

Try this: Make space for how you feel, even if it’s uncomfortable. Talking to someone, journaling, or just allowing yourself to feel for a few minutes can be powerful.

You don’t have to change everything at once, but even becoming aware of these habits is a big first step. Anxiety isn’t always something you can just “think your way out of,” but your daily choices have more power than you think. Start small and be kind to yourself.