Anxiety is complex. It is not something that happens overnight, nor is it something that necessary has a single cause. Trauma can cause anxiety. So can chronic stress. Genetics can also play a role. But many people do not realize that anxiety can be caused by a variety of factors, contributing to its development and maintenance.
Let’s talk about some examples:
- Anxiety Can Be Caused by Your Breathing
We touched on this in the past, when we wrote about how undeveloped back muscles can contribute to anxiety, but it is worth reiterating here. How you breathe can not only make anxiety symptoms worse, but actually create anxiety itself.
When you breathe in a shallow way, you stress out your body and your brain. You feel worse, make your stress worse, and create a scenario where you are more prone to experiencing anxiety symptoms.
Now, anxiety and stress can cause you to breathe poorly. But so can issues like bad posture. We also breathe worse when we’re leaning over on our phones, and we breathe worse when we spend time reading about stressful things (like the news), causing temporary stress/anxiety that can lead to more significant anxiety disorders down the road.
- Anxiety Can Be Caused by Scrolling
Most people are loosely aware, or have heard about, the effects that social media can have on your mental health. Many people develop eating disorders, depression, and low self-esteem from issues related to what they see on social media caused by comparisons, jealousy, and so much more.
But what you may not be aware of is that the simple act of scrolling social media – literally just watching videos or looking at photos – can cause anxiety.
The reason is due to something called “digital overload.” We touched on this in a post directed at influencers, but what many people do not realize is that their brains are simply not equipped to process that much information at once. When you scroll something like TikTok or Facebook, you are essentially viewing thousands of unrelated videos and faces, along with jokes, scenery, and more all in moments.
You may feel like it’s no big deal. After all, you view videos all the time and you do not *feel* stressed. But, as you watch these videos, your brain is trying to process everything and becoming overloaded. You may feel calm and relaxed while scrolling, but your brain is stressed. Over time, that stress can lead to the development of anxiety disorders, or make an anxiety disorder worse.
- Clutter
Digital overload is an example of what happens to our brains when there is simply too much stimulation as a direct result of viewing countless videos. But while it’s not quite as severe, this type of thing can occur in the offline world as well.
Clutter can be an example of this. Though it does not affect everyone the same way, and thus is not going to trigger anxiety for everyone, there are many people that find that the act of being surrounded by clutter can cause them stress, and ultimately anxiety.
Part of the reason for this is still related to this idea of overload. When there is “stuff” all over a house, then the whole house has stimulation that can make you uncomfortable, stressed, and anxious. But beyond that, one of the effects of clutter is that it reminds you that you have a lot to do. Your home is no longer relaxing, but instead another reminder of stresses. If you already experience things like work stress, then clutter is expected to make that worse.
The Complexity of Anxiety and the Clarity of Treatment
All of these are examples of challenges that can lead to anxiety. But the thing about anxiety is that it’s not typically “cured” by simply removing these issues. Exercising your back muscles isn’t going to suddenly cure you even if you start breathing well again. Once anxiety has developed, it is still anxiety, and will benefit from therapy and mental health support.
Still, it is helpful to know these other potential contributors. Many people, when they have anxiety, try to think back and imagine what the cause might have been. Sometimes, we find a clear cause. Other times, it’s a combination of issues – including the strange examples above – that create anxiety symptoms.
Rather than overthink the cause, what is most important is seeking treatment. If you need help with your anxiety, reach out to Flourish Psychology, today.