Poor Diet Choices

Crazy schedules and heavy workloads make eating healthy, nutritious meals a challenge. It may sometimes seem easier to hit a drive-thru on your way home from your child’s last extracurricular activity or lesson for the day than to stop at the grocery store, head home, and squeeze in time for a meal.

However, the foods you’re eating are impacting your mood, and making your anxiety worse. This leads to diminished productivity and causes you to get farther behind than if you’d opted for a healthier choice in the first place.

And if you are tempted to end your evening with a glass (or two) of wine, you may find that you’ll wake up feeling more anxious the following morning or when that temporary buzz and feeling of relaxation wears off.

The same goes for people who try to give themselves an extra boost with caffeine - whether in the form of a latte or a five-hour energy drink or shot. Because you aren’t giving your body the rest it needs to rejuvenate itself (your body is telling you to slow down for a reason, after all), you’ll find yourself feeling more worn out, more irritable, and yes, more anxious.

If you suffer from anxiety, try to avoid processed, sugary foods. Limit or cut out alcohol and caffeinated beverages, especially late at night when it will affect your ability to sleep, or the quality of sleep that you get. Instead, choose healthy meals and snacks that are made from whole grains, complex carbs, and high-protein options.

Stress

Stress and anxiety almost always go hand in hand. If you’re stressed out -- because of work, finances, home situations, or family -- you are also likely to pick up other behaviors that will make your anxiety worse.