3 Common Mistakes People Make When Battling Anxiety

27 September 2016, 16:24 | Updated: 8 May 2017, 17:09

By Nicky Idika

@adulthumanbeing

Ditch these three bad habits right now.

The number of young adults and teenagers who report that they suffer symptoms of anxiety is nothing to turn our noses up at. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue for young people, with 25% of teenagers dealing with anxiety on a day-to-day basis. 

While there are specific things that teenagers can do to get their stresses and anxieties under control, there are a few mistakes that many people don't realize they're making while trying to cope. 

You're stuck thinking you'll never be able to get your anxiety under control. 

Anxiety is irrational. That much is obvious. But if you have a tendency to get caught up in thoughts like 'why am I like this', 'I'm the problem here', 'I'll never change', then you're doing more harm than good to yourself. 

Try daily affirmations and techniques specifically designed to change how think about your anxiety. 

I was at a birthday party, so I tailored the affirmations to counter my social anxiety. "I can enjoy myself while protecting my energy."

— spokenblackgirl (@spokenblackgirl) September 25, 2016

You internalize everything because you think it's easier.

Everything is "fine". You're "doing better". You don't want to sound like you're whining.  

...does anyone else internalize their emotional process/anxiety/jealousy/etc so much (to not cause trouble) that they're seen as "superman"

— Cooper S. Beckett (@CooperSBeckett) September 19, 2016

Train yourself to vocalize your stress, anxiety, jealousy, and fears. Regain control of your mental processes so that you don't absorb every single microagression, unkind word, and irrational fear.

You constantly ignore your own triggers.

You know yourself better than anyone else. Take into account what your brain has clearly said it finds distressing. If you're constantly heading face first into situations that you KNOW make you angry, panicky, and upset, then get into the habit of practicing the act self preservation.