Are You Engaging in the 3 Most Common Behaviors that Cause Stress & Anxiety?
There are 3 common behaviors that you could be engaging in that cause stress and anxiety. Being able to identify these behaviors is the first step in eliminating stress and anxiety in order to live a happier life.
The first one is thinking negatively. When someone engages in negativity they have a poor outlook on multiple aspects of their lives including people, places, and situations. They might think negatively about their job, school, friends, family, and partner. Examples of negative thoughts can include: “I can’t do this”, “no one understands”, “things will never get better”, and “I am not good enough”. These thoughts tend to be incessant and become an automatic tape that plays over and over.
The second behavior that causes anxiety and stress is perfectionism. When you are a perfectionist you are consumed with doing everything exactly right with no room for error. You are tough on yourself and have unusually high expectations of what you need to do, who you need to be, and what you need to accomplish. If something is not done “perfectly” and things don’t go exactly as you want it you feel like you failed. Examples of perfectionist thoughts are: “I have to do this right or I am a failure” or “If I mess up I will disappoint those I care about”. This behavior creates a lot of pressure and anxiety.
The third behavior is being overly analytical. When you are obsessed with analyzing everything in your life you think about things over and over and have difficulty letting things go. Examples of obsessive analytical thoughts are “If I don’t look this over inside and out I might miss something and everything will go wrong” or “If I am not super careful and let things go things might go really badly”. When we engage in over analytical behavior we spend too much time obsessing over little things and don’t take time to enjoy the people and things around us.
Take time and reflect as to whether you engage in any of the above behaviors. A great way to figure out if you do this is to ask people you love and trust whether you engage in them. Keep a journal and write down examples when you catch yourself doing them. The next step is to break the cycle of these behavioral patterns. Check out my blog for stress and anxiety busting techniques such as using positive affirmations, the perfect day technique, and challenging thoughts.
ABOUT ESSENCE OF HEALING COUNSELING:
Roberta Alves is a therapist and counselor at the Essence of Healing Counseling with an office located in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. She is a Certified Anxiety Specialist and uses a scientific and evidence based type of therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Research has shown that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is proven to be extremely effective in treating anxiety. Roberta is truly passionate about the work she does and loves serving her clients in Ft. Lauderdale and the surrounding South Florida areas. If you want to learn the proven techniques to overcome your anxiety, schedule an appointment today.
