Highlights
- Anxiety triggers are things that make anxiety symptoms flare up in the moment.
- Triggers don’t directly cause anxiety disorders, but they can make existing anxiety feel worse.
- Common anxiety triggers can include sleep deprivation, caffeine, conflict, work stress, trauma reminders, major life changes, and more.
- Identifying your triggers can help you prepare for anxiety and use coping skills that fit the situation.
- If anxiety keeps getting in the way of your life, a healthcare provider can help.
Sometimes, anxiety can feel like it comes out of nowhere. But often, it is triggered by something, whether it’s people, situations, thoughts, body sensations, or changes that make anxiety symptoms worse.
Learning what triggers your anxiety can help you understand your symptoms more clearly and make a plan for coping.
What Are Anxiety Triggers?
Anxiety triggers are anything that can make the symptoms of anxiety worse. They can be people, places, situations, thinking patterns, or many other things. For example, having an argument with your friend might trigger your anxiety.
Sometimes, your anxiety might be triggered by an external thing or situation. Other times, they’re triggered by something you’re going through internally, like what you’re thinking about.
Anxiety triggers are not direct causes of anxiety. Anxiety disorders are caused by a combination of different risk factors — including both genetic and environmental — not one single trigger. Triggers cause your anxiety symptoms to flare up in the moment. They don’t cause you to develop an anxiety disorder to begin with.
23 Common Anxiety Triggers
Different things worsen anxiety for different people. It would be impossible to cover every anxiety trigger in one article. What triggers anxiety for you depends on your history and the specific context. Just because something makes some other people feel anxious, doesn’t mean it’ll make you feel the same.
But these are the general categories of what often triggers anxiety for many people, including specific examples for each.
Physical and Physiological Triggers
Our bodies and our minds are connected. Often, anxiety can be triggered by what’s going on physically. This can include what you’re consuming or how well you’re taking care of yourself.
1. Lack of Sleep
2. Caffeine and Other Stimulants
Stimulants directly increase anxiety for many people. You might especially notice the physical symptoms of anxiety, like a fast heartbeat or trembling. The most common example is caffeine, but it can also happen with other stimulants.
3. Alcohol
Alcohol feels like it relaxes you in the moment. And it does slow down your nervous system. But as it leaves your body, it can trigger anxiety and agitation. That’s why you might feel more anxious the morning after drinking.
4. Skipped Meals or Low Blood Sugar
You might also feel more anxious when you go without eating for too long. Having low blood sugar can trigger your body to go into the “fight or flight” response and release a hormone called adrenaline. Adrenaline triggers anxiety symptoms like shaking and sweating.
5. Medication Side Effects
Some medications are known to cause side effects like anxiety and agitation. Stimulant ADHD medications can directly cause you to feel anxious. Other examples include asthma inhalers, certain decongestants, and thyroid medications. If you’re experiencing anxiety as a side effect, tell your doctor right away.
6. Health Issues and Hormonal Shifts
Anxiety often comes along with other health conditions. People who live with thyroid disorder, heart disease, neurological conditions, and some others can be more likely to also experience anxiety. Hormonal shifts, like those that happen during puberty or menopause, can trigger anxiety too.
Environmental and Social Triggers
Other times, the anxiety trigger comes from outside of yourself. Environmental triggers can include any external situation that makes you feel more anxious.
7. Conflict
Having interpersonal conflict can definitely trigger anxiety for many people. You might feel much more anxious after having an argument with your partner, a family member, a friend, or a colleague.
8. Social Events
Social events can also trigger anxiety, especially if you live with social anxiety disorder. But even if you don’t, some social events can be high-pressure situations. For example, going to a party where you don’t know anyone might trigger anxiety even if you don’t usually worry in such situations.
9. Work Stress or Pressure
Work is one of the biggest causes of stress for adults, and that stress can often turn into anxiety. You might feel understandably anxious because you have big projects or deadlines coming up. Or you might be in a toxic work environment that triggers work anxiety.
10. Overstimulating or Chaotic Environments
Sometimes, even short-term situations can trigger anxiety. If you’re in a situation that you find overstimulating, then you can feel more anxious. This can include situations that are too loud, too bright, or too crowded.
11. Public Speaking or Performance Situations
It’s very common for public speaking to trigger anxiety. Reports show that nearly 80% of the population is afraid of public speaking. You can also experience performance anxiety in other situations where you feel you’ll be judged, like interviewing for a job, playing sports, or even sexual performance.
Psychological Triggers
There are also internal psychological factors that can trigger anxiety, especially if you already live with generalized anxiety disorder. These can include thinking patterns and worries.
12. Negative Thinking
Negative thinking patterns are when you think about events in ways that make you feel more anxious. For example, you might fall into
13. Fear of Rejection
Being rejected can trigger anxiety. This can happen when you really are being rejected or when you anticipate rejection, whether it’s a realistic worry or not.
14. Worry About the Future
Many people get locked into worrying about future worries. You might not know what will happen yet, but your mind can’t help but spiral over possible scenarios. This can make you feel more anxious.
15. Trauma Reminders
If you’ve experienced a traumatic event, you might be triggered when something reminds you of what happened. This can include people, places, sounds and scents, or memories. Not only can these reminders trigger anxiety, but they can also trigger post-traumatic symptoms like hypervigilance.
16. Feeling Unsafe or Out of Control
Anxiety can be triggered when you feel unsafe or out of control, regardless of whether you’re really in danger or not. For example, you might be in a confined space with someone who makes you feel afraid. No matter if the person actually means to hurt you or not, if you feel unsafe, then your anxiety could be triggered.
17. Specific Phobias
Specific phobia is an anxiety disorder that causes extreme fear of specific things or situations. For example, you might have a specific phobia about spiders, heights, blood, or tight spaces. If you have a phobia, then coming across your fear can trigger anxiety.
18. Digital and Media Exposure
All forms of media — including movies and television, the news, and social media — can trigger anxiety. For example, many people feel anxious when watching horror movies. Too much news exposure over time can also trigger anxiety.
Life Stressors and Major Changes
Lastly, major life events and changes often trigger anxiety. These aren’t just temporary situations like a work deadline. They’re often long-term situations that cause anxiety to build up in the background over time.
19. Financial Concerns
20. Relationship Problems
Interpersonal conflict can trigger anxiety, like we discussed earlier. But any relationship problem or change can also trigger anxiety, even if there’s not an active conflict. For example, you might feel anxious because you feel that you and your partner are slowly drifting apart.
21. Loss or Grief
Grieving someone we love is something that, unfortunately, we’ll all go through at some point. Not only can these losses cause sadness, but they can also trigger anxiety. You might worry about what the future will look like without this person or how you’ll cope with the loss.
22. Major Life Transitions
On top of the above examples, any major life transition can trigger anxiety. Examples include moving, having a child, getting married, or retiring. These transitions can trigger anxiety even if you feel happy about them overall.
23. Sudden Unexpected Events
Any sudden or unexpected event can also trigger anxiety, even if it’s not a major change. For example, you might get a sudden phone call from someone you haven’t heard from in a while. Your day’s plans might change at the last minute. You or a family member could catch a cold at an inconvenient time.
How to Identify Your Personal Anxiety Triggers
Remember that each person can have unique anxiety triggers. Instead of assuming that everything on this list will trigger anxiety for you, try working toward identifying your own personal triggers.
Knowing what your unique anxiety triggers are can help you prepare for them as much as possible. You may not always be able to avoid them, but you can make a plan for how to cope.
These steps can help:
- Notice the anxiety symptom. Try to pay more attention to how you feel, both in your mind and in your body, so that you’re more likely to notice when you’re triggered. What are the specific symptoms that let you know you’re anxious? For example, you might notice physical symptoms like a fast heartbeat. Or you might notice that you’re more irritable or agitated.
- Keep a journal or anxiety log. It can also help to keep a log of your symptoms so you can see how your anxiety changes over time. Many people find it helpful to rate their anxiety on a scale of 0 to 10. You might also write down things like what happened during your day, what type of thoughts you’re having, and how you’re taking care of yourself physically (if you’re sleeping and eating enough). Keep a log at least once per day.
- Look for patterns. Once you’re in the habit of keeping an anxiety log, look for patterns that might tell you what your triggers are. For example, you might notice that you were more anxious on days you slept less the night before. Or you might be more anxious after you’ve spoken to a specific person. It’s possible these patterns point to triggers. Also, if it feels like your anxiety “comes out of nowhere,” think about your daily habits. Did you have caffeine that day, and how much? Did you have any alcohol the night before? When and what did you eat? These things can all give you insights into your anxiety triggers.
- Notice what you were thinking and feeling before symptoms started. If you catch yourself feeling anxious in the moment, slow down and think about what exactly was going on for you before the symptoms started. What were you thinking about, and how were you thinking about it? What were the specific thoughts running through your mind? What other emotions were you feeling?
- Work with a therapist if the pattern is unclear. If you still feel confused about what is triggering anxiety symptoms, talking to a therapist can help. Therapy offers a non-judgmental space where you can process your emotions more clearly. Your therapist may ask you the right questions to help you figure out what’s triggering your symptoms.
What to Do When Anxiety Is Triggered
When you feel your anxiety spiking, there are steps you can take immediately to calm your nervous system.
1. During an Anxiety Spike
When you’re in the middle of an anxiety spike, try to focus on relaxing your nervous system. Anxiety often comes with physical symptoms, and working on calming those symptoms can help lower anxiety overall. You can try the following:
- Using a breathing exercise to slow and deepen your breathing. For example, you might use the box breathing technique.
- Practice grounding, which is returning to the present moment instead of spiraling in your mind. You can use any technique that connects you to your 5 senses. For example, you might squeeze a cold ice cube or try to identify 5 different sounds.
- Call someone you trust to keep you calm. It should be someone who won’t judge you for feeling the way you do, but who also won’t overreact and make you feel worse.
- You can consider removing yourself from the trigger if it’s completely overwhelming. But keep in mind that sometimes, avoiding triggers can make things worse. It might be more helpful to work on lowering the anxiety than just trying to escape it.
- Use a calming mantra. You might say to yourself something like, “This is temporary, and will pass.” Or, “I’ve gotten through anxiety before, and I’ll get through it again.”
Anything that you find relaxing can be helpful while you’re having an anxiety spike.
2. After the Symptoms Settle
After your anxiety starts coming down, it’s important to take time to recover and rest. It can also be helpful to process what happened and what triggered your anxiety.
- Take care of your body. Anxiety can be exhausting. Get some rest if you can. Drink some water and eat a nourishing meal.
- Avoid stimulants (unless they’re prescribed to you). Even if your anxiety has calmed down,
consuming caffeine[4] or other stimulants likeenergy drinks can trigger it again[5] . If you experience anxiety because of the prescribed stimulant medications, discuss this with your healthcare provider. - Gently move your body.
Research shows[6] that exercise can lower anxiety. It might help you get extra energy out if you’re still feeling wired. - Reflect on what triggered your anxiety. Identifying your triggers can help you make a plan for coping moving forward.
How to Manage Anxiety Triggers Over Time
On top of dealing with them when they come up in the moment, you can also develop certain habits that may help you cope with anxiety triggers over time. These may include habits that help prevent these events from triggering so much anxiety in the first place.
- Understand what your anxiety triggers are and how to deal with them. It might be best to completely avoid certain known anxiety triggers, like caffeine or alcohol. But avoiding other types of triggers, like specific fears or social situations, can make anxiety worse in the long run. It’s important to know the difference.
- If you have certain triggers that are unhelpful to avoid, work on gradually exposing yourself. For example, if public speaking triggers anxiety for you, you might take steps to present in front of smaller groups of people.
- Pay attention to your thinking patterns. You might be thinking about situations in ways that make your anxiety worse. For example, notice when you’re falling into black-and-white thinking.
- Prioritize taking care of your body. When you’re not getting enough sleep or nourishing yourself enough, it can be easier for your anxiety to flare up. Getting regular exercise can also help.
When to Seek Professional Help
Often, people are able to deal with occasional anxiety spikes on their own. For example, if you get anxious when you need to give a public speech, but you very rarely need to actually do this, then you can probably cope.
But if you’re dealing with an anxiety disorder, you need and deserve treatment, because this condition won’t go away on its own. Anxiety should not get in the way of living the life you want to live.
Reach out to a mental health provider if:
- You’ve felt anxious (even if it’s off and on) for weeks, months, or even years.
- Once your anxiety gets triggered, you find it very hard to calm yourself down.
- You’ve started to revolve your life around your triggers. For example, you avoid certain places all the time, even when it becomes a problem, because you know it will trigger your anxiety.
- Your anxiety symptoms are so intense that they get in the way of your work life or relationships.
- Your anxiety spikes have gotten more and more intense over time.
You don’t need to wait until you’re in crisis to get support. It’s often easier to deal with anxiety when you’re not in an active crisis. A mental health provider can walk you through your treatment options, which usually include therapy, anxiety medication, or a combination of both.
Conclusion
Anxiety triggers can come from many places, including your body, your environment, your relationships, or your own thoughts. Learning what tends to trigger your anxiety can help you notice symptoms earlier and respond with more self-compassion. You may not be able to avoid every trigger, but knowing what they are can help you prepare for them.
If anxiety has started to control your choices or your life, you deserve professional support. A healthcare provider at MEDvidi can help you understand your triggers, and you can get help for anxiety online.
FAQ
What are some stage 1 anxiety triggers?
Stage 1 anxiety triggers are early triggers that cause anxiety to start rising before it becomes intense. It’s not a clinically recognized term. But some examples of anxiety triggers might include feeling rushed, getting a stressful text, or having a sudden change in plans.
What can trigger an anxiety attack?
Anxiety attacks can be triggered by many things, including stress, fear, conflict, trauma reminders, caffeine, lack of sleep, or feeling unsafe. Sometimes, they can also seem to come on suddenly without one clear trigger.
What are the most common anxiety triggers?
Some of the most common anxiety triggers include stress, lack of sleep, caffeine, conflict, health worries, financial concerns, social pressure, and major life changes. Your personal triggers can depend on your history and what feels stressful to you.
How to get rid of anxiety triggers?
You may not be able to get rid of every anxiety trigger. But you can learn which triggers to avoid when possible and which ones are better to gradually learn how to face.
How does identifying triggers help anxiety?
Identifying triggers helps you understand what tends to make your anxiety worse. This can help you prepare ahead of time to cope with it.
How do I stop triggering anxiety?
You may not be able to stop anxiety completely. But you can reduce anxiety triggers by taking care of your body and working on thinking patterns that make anxiety worse.
