5 Ways Anxiety is Interfering with Your Daily Life

Hey Optimist Minds!

Does it ever feel like your anxiety is getting in your way? Do you wish you didn’t overthink so much so you could enjoy your life better?

Anxiety has a way of overpowering your mind and body, making it extremely difficult for you to get on with your day. However, with chronic anxiety, it’s hard to tell whether it’s the anxiety that’s the problem or if life is supposed to be this disappointing and mediocre.

You get so used to feeling anxious that you don’t realise how it’s holding you back. In this video, we will talk describe five ways anxiety is interfering with your daily life. 

Knowing this information can help you assess how impeding your anxiety has become. If you find that it interferes with your functioning significantly, we recommend that you consult a therapist to learn how to cope with it.

Now, let’s begin.

Number One

You avoid doing things.

Have you started skipping certain activities that trigger your anxiety? Maybe you don’t visit the places you used to go often, or you’ve lost interest in hobbies you were good at, or you’ve stopped speaking to someone who cares about you.

Avoidance is a common coping mechanism for anxiety, but it doesn’t help as much if overdone. When it gets to such a level that you can’t function like you used to, you know the anxiety is getting too much.

Number Two

You don’t get enough rest.

When we are anxious, our body is pumped with stress hormones. Our muscles, too, stay clenched and tense. As a result, it’s hard to relax.

Even if you go to bed on time or take a break to rest, it’ll take some tossing and turning for you to fall asleep. Many people can’t sleep unless they’re watching something in bed. 

When you do manage to get some shuteye, your sleep might be disturbed. For example, maybe, individuals with anxiety disorders frequently complain about broken sleep, nightmares, or not feeling rested in the morning.

Number Three

You struggle to make decisions.

Research shows that anxiety is associated with impairment in decision making. This is because both neural systems in the brain and cognitive biases prevent us from making confident choices.

If you’ve had anxiety, you’ve probably experienced the terror of imagining all the worse possible outcomes. The overthinking keeps you stuck in weighing the pros and cons, and you’re unable to pick a side. Moreover, it’s exhausting to go through this for every big and small decision in a day.

Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.

Number Four

You miss out on opportunities.

The avoidant behaviour and delayed decision making caused by anxiety do further damage because you may lose your chance at an opportunity by the time you’re ready for it.

For example, let’s say someone asked you out on a date or your work presented a chance to showcase your skills. But you were too anxious to respond immediately. When you finally managed to muster the courage, it was too late.

Number Five

You’re not learning as effectively as you could.

Studies have revealed that anxiety is a major impediment to learning and cognitive activity. It slows down your processing speed, so it takes longer for you to grasp concepts.

If you’re a student or your work involves learning new things, anxiety gets in the way of your performance.

Were you able to relate to the situations we described? Do you think anxiety has been interfering with your daily life? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

A link for further reading and the studies & references used in the making of this video are mentioned in the description below.

Thanks for visiting optimist minds, take care. Until next time.

What we recommend for curbing Anxiety

Below are some of the services and products we recommend for anxiety

Online Therapy

• Online therapy is another thing we should all try. We highly recommend Online therapy with a provider who not only provides therapy but a complete mental health toolbox to help your wellness.

Anxiety Weighted Blankets

• Anxiety Weighted Blankets are by far the number 1 thing every person who suffers from anxiety should at least try. Anxiety Blankets may improve your sleep, allow you to fall asleep faster and you can even carry them around when chilling at home.

Light Therapy

• Amber light therapy from Amber lights could increase the melatonin production in your body and help you sleep better at night.  An Amber light lamp helps reduce the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep and increases overall sleep quality.

Resources

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006322312000091
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1360786031000150694
• https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-62498-001
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0890856709602124 
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0092656679900011