10 Weird Things That Are Making You Anxious

"Sleep is the number one thing I encourage people not to slack on," says Elizabeth Ward, PhD, a psychologist in the Boston area."If you're consistently getting less than enough, your body's not working at its top level, which makes you more susceptible to feeling anxious." Most people need to between 7 and 8 hours per night to avoid feeling more irritable, distracted, weak, and of course, tired.

Turns out, a little bit of nature can go a long way in easing anxiety. NYU Langone Health uses horticultural therapy — including potting plants and arranging flowers — in its hospitals to help improve patients' moods and reduce stress. Adding a little gardening to your routine could have a similar effect. Tending to a plot for 30 minutes after completing a stressful task fully restored participants' moods in a 2011 study.

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You might think returning home to a comfy couch at the end of the day will help you relax, but too much lounging may actually aggravate stress. More sedentary behaviors correlated with a higher risk of anxiety, according to 2015 research published in BMC Public Health. Getting more active — whether it's working out at the gym or simply going for a walk at lunch — can help offset those feelings by releasing endorphins, Dr. Ward says.

Sunlight and darkness are closely tied to how we feel. Researchers at Brown University recently identified a pathway connecting special light-sensing cells in our eyes with the areas in our brains associated with mood. Past studies have also linked greater natural light exposure with higher levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter commonly associated with feelings of well-being and happiness.

Mild dehydration can affect brain functioning and is linked with consistent mood worsening in adults, according to a 2017 meta-analysis in the Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism. Generally, about nine cups of water per day is sufficient for ladies, but drink extra if you're doing a lot of exercise, the Mayo Clinic advises.

Women living in a cluttered home exhibited higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in a 2010 study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. "In our minds, we view clutter as unfinished business, and this lack of completeness is unsettling and stressful to most people," Sherrie Bourg Carter, Psy.D., previously told GoodHousekeeping.com.

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Eating nutrient-dense foods instead of processed snacks can go a long way when it comes to reducing your anxiety levels. GH Nutrition Director Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN recommends snacking on dried, unsweetened tart cherries specifically. "The polyphenolic compounds can help you chill," she says. "They've been linked to increased production of the sleep regulating hormone melatonin, which makes them great for when you're feeling anxious."

You might be tempted to skip breakfast, but missing meals can cause a drop in blood sugar levels and may worsen feelings of anxiety, according to experts at Harvard Medical School.

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Social media apps can generate stress and anxiety — especially if they're causing you to compare yourself to others. "You see people posting the best of the best of what they have going on," says Dr. Ward. "That can create a lot of anxiety as people think think they're not measuring up or they're not doing the same things that others are doing."

A glass of wine might sound like a relaxing way to unwind, but alcohol can also work as a stimulant and increase your heart rate, according to research from the National Institutes of Health. Plus, sipping alcohol before bed has been linked with poor sleep quality, including waking up in the middle of the night, notes the National Sleep Foundation.