How to Calm 3 Common Anxiety Triggers

Before we can calm our anxiety triggers, we first have to be able to identify what triggers our anxiety. (You can find a link to a full-length post that addresses identifying triggers below.) This is no easy task because there are so many types of anxiety, so many causes, and so many triggers. No two people experience anxiety in exactly the same way.

But, we can focus on some common anxiety triggers, and even if you don’t experience these triggers, maybe you can relate them to your triggers in some way. Maybe you can find some overlap — calming techniques that would work for more than one trigger.

Common Trigger #1 – Overthinking

To calm my overthinking, I’ve worked on an important mindset shift for several years — recognizing when something is my problem or responsibility and when it’s not. This requires setting good boundaries and clear expectations.

But what’s helped me quiet my mind more than anything else is my newly found daily meditation practice — 10 minutes of guided meditation almost every morning. It’s taught me that I don’t have to engage with my thoughts. Thoughts come and go, just like feelings, and I can choose to let the thought pass by or I can choose to engage with it. Even trying to stop the thought is engaging with it. So, just let it pass by!

Common Trigger #2 – Overachieving

To calm your overachieving ways, figure out what your core values are, first and foremost. With your core values as your guide, you can prioritize your time, develop personal expectations, and set meaningful goals. (If you could use some help naming your core values, check out the link below.)

And to calm your perfectionism, a close cousin to overachieving, identify your priorities and set time limits for your tasks based on these priorities.

Keep scrolling to read about trigger #3.