6 Bad Habits of People With Anxiety (and Ways to Combat Them)

Procrastination

“I try and break what I have to do into smaller chunks and achieve them one at a time so I don’t feel overwhelmed.”

“I’ll go outside and walk around or meditate – anything to get my mind on something real, tangible and soothing.”

Shutting Down

“I either call my mom or keep myself busy so I don’t have time to shut down”

“To combat it, I either call my mom or keep myself busy so I don’t have time to shut down.”

Skin Picking/Nail Biting

“I don’t pick my skin as much when I have my fingernails done. I take the time to relax while getting them painted.”

“I put gloves on so I don’t hurt myself.”

Emotional Eating

“It helps if I do something that requires a lot of focus, like playing a video game, driving, doing school work or listening to scary stories on YouTube.”

Bursts of Anger or Being Irritable

“I stop myself from getting too agitated by sitting in a quiet place like the bathroom or my closet for about 10 minutes.”

“I put little notes telling myself to ‘be kind’ or ‘stop and listen’ anywhere I’m likely to have an anxiety attack.”

Isolating Yourself

“I make myself get up, even if it’s a trip to the mailbox. Taking those baby steps helps me feel OK.”

It’s important to remember that having a bad habit doesn’t make you a bad person.

On your journey with anxiety, you might just find better ways to cope.

In the meantime, wherever you are, you aren’t alone.