When it comes to mental health, there are several actions we take to alleviate symptoms. However, have you ever thought about the actions you can stop taking? Our habits define who we are and can play a major role in the development of mental illness.

When it comes to anxiety, several unhealthy habits worsen the condition. Throughout this article, we’ll take a deeper look at these habits and why they’re so dangerous.

1.) Drugs and Alcohol

Some people turn to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate – hoping that a substance will alleviate their symptoms. ¹ The difficulty is drugs and alcohol only relieve anxiety for a short period. Though you may feel blissful while intoxicated, the moment that “high” crashes, you feel worse than when you started.

With enough time, this cycle of substance abuse can have devastating effects, from withdrawal symptoms to addictive behaviors. If you’re currently taking drugs or alcohol for self-medication purposes, it’s key to seek out treatment. If you’re addicted to a substance prescribed to you for anxiety (i.e. Xanax), you’ll want to consult your healthcare provider.

2.) Social Media

It comes as no surprise that social media harms our mental health. Many studies reveal that people who use social media (i.e. Instagram, Facebook) at higher frequencies are more likely to face mental health complications, including anxiety and depression. ²

There are several reasons for this. One of the most notable is social media comparison – analyzing your life to the relation of images and posts seen online. Since most social media is curated, this comparison occurs from hand-picked highlights of others’ lives. Therefore, not painting an accurate picture of other people. ³

Then there’s the reverse of the problem. When we post online, we expect our inbox to be flooded with notifications. Researchers have found such activity releases dopamine in our brains – a reward chemical also released through other activities, such as heroin use and sex. ⁴

When social media notifications don’t meet our expectations, it can lead to anxious and depressive symptoms. For this reason, it’s best to avoid using social media. Of course, not everyone will drop it altogether. In such cases, taking breaks from social media can also be beneficial. ⁵

3.) Junk Food

Have you ever heard of the gut-brain connection? Researchers recently found that our guts have a high influence over our emotions. ⁶

Have you ever felt “butterflies” in your stomach? Or do you ever get that “gut feeling” that something bad is about to happen? These sensations are directly linked to the gut-brain connection.

It was also found that this connection indicates healthier diets lead to more positive emotions. On the other hand, unhealthy diets can lead to negative emotions, including those experienced in anxiety. ⁷

Changing your diet can have a strong impact on your mental health. Some positive foods for anxiety include: ⁸

• Dietary fiber
• Fermented foods
• Non-refined grains and vegetables ⁹
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Vitamin D ¹⁰

4.) Staying Up Late

Sleep and mental health go hand-in-hand. Whether you’re not getting enough or too much sleep, both outcomes can result in negative emotions throughout the day. ¹¹

However, the amount of sleep you get isn’t the only factor here. Sometimes, we aren’t getting the right quality sleep which can also lead to anxiety symptoms. For example, even with a full eight hours, we might not wake up until noon. This limits our sunlight and puts us on a schedule that’s skewed by everyone around us. ¹²

The best thing you can do for sleep is to develop a schedule. Ideally, you want to get to bed between 10:00 PM and 12:00 AM. If you struggle to get to sleep at night, some natural supplements may help, including melatonin and cannabidiol (CBD).

5.) Judging Yourself and Others

Out of all the habits on our list, this is the most difficult to recognize and overcome. Our brains are practically wired to make judgments, both on ourselves and others. ¹³ It convinces us that:

1. We are not good enough.
2. Other people are better than us.

These assumptions have no other end goal other than negative emotions. Yet, how can we simply stop our judgments?

The answer to this question will differ for everyone. However, it’s in your interest to participate in mindful habits. Whether this be yoga, reading a book, writing, or meditation itself, we must find what brings us a closer connection with our souls and the world around us. ¹⁴

References

¹ Harris KM, Edlund MJ. Self-medication of mental health problems: new evidence from a national survey. Health Serv Res. 2005 Feb;40(1):117-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2005.00345.x. PMID: 15663705; PMCID: PMC1361129.

² Pantic I. Online social networking and mental health. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2014 Oct;17(10):652-7. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0070. Epub 2014 Sep 5. PMID: 25192305; PMCID: PMC4183915.

³ Samra A, Warburton WA, Collins AM. Social comparisons: A potential mechanism linking problematic social media use with depression. J Behav Addict. 2022 Jun 2;11(2):607-614. doi: 10.1556/2006.2022.00023. PMID: 35895606; PMCID: PMC9295248.

⁴ Westbrook A, Ghosh A, van den Bosch R, Määttä JI, Hofmans L, Cools R. Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity reflects smartphone social activity. iScience. 2021 May 2;24(5):102497. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102497. PMID: 34113831; PMCID: PMC8170001.

⁵ Lambert J, Barnstable G, Minter E, Cooper J, McEwan D. Taking a One-Week Break from Social Media Improves Well-Being, Depression, and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2022 May;25(5):287-293. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2021.0324. Epub 2022 May 3. PMID: 35512731.

⁶ Mayer EA, Nance K, Chen S. The Gut-Brain Axis. Annu Rev Med. 2022 Jan 27;73:439-453. doi: 10.1146/annurev-med-042320-014032. Epub 2021 Oct 20. PMID: 34669431.

⁷ Schubert E, Bode S. Positive emotions and their upregulation increase willingness to consume healthy foods. Appetite. 2023 Feb 1;181:106420. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106420. Epub 2022 Dec 10. PMID: 36513297.

⁸ Naidoo U. Eat to Beat Stress. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2020 Dec 8;15(1):39-42. doi: 10.1177/1559827620973936. PMID: 33456419; PMCID: PMC7781050.

⁹ Gibson-Smith D, Bot M, Brouwer IA, Visser M, Giltay EJ, Penninx BWJH. Association of food groups with depression and anxiety disorders. Eur J Nutr. 2020 Mar;59(2):767-778. doi: 10.1007/s00394-019-01943-4. Epub 2019 Apr 3. PMID: 30945032; PMCID: PMC7058560.

¹⁰ Norwitz NG, Naidoo U. Nutrition as Metabolic Treatment for Anxiety. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Feb 12;12:598119. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.598119. PMID: 33643090; PMCID: PMC7907178.

¹¹ Vandekerckhove M, Wang YL. Emotion, emotion regulation and sleep: An intimate relationship. AIMS Neurosci. 2017 Dec 1;5(1):1-17. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2018.1.1. PMID: 32341948; PMCID: PMC7181893.

¹² Chaput JP, Dutil C, Featherstone R, Ross R, Giangregorio L, Saunders TJ, Janssen I, Poitras VJ, Kho ME, Ross-White A, Zankar S, Carrier J. Sleep timing, sleep consistency, and health in adults: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2020 Oct;45(10 (Suppl. 2)):S232-S247. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2020-0032. PMID: 33054339.

¹³ Neal TMS, Lienert P, Denne E, Singh JP. A general model of cognitive bias in human judgment and systematic review specific to forensic mental health. Law Hum Behav. 2022 Apr;46(2):99-120. doi: 10.1037/lhb0000482. Epub 2022 Feb 21. PMID: 35191729.

¹⁴ Schuman-Olivier Z, Trombka M, Lovas DA, Brewer JA, Vago DR, Gawande R, Dunne JP, Lazar SW, Loucks EB, Fulwiler C. Mindfulness and Behavior Change. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2020 Nov/Dec;28(6):371-394. doi: 10.1097/HRP.0000000000000277. PMID: 33156156; PMCID: PMC7647439.