Why Do I Have Anxiety for No Reason?

The sensation of feeling anxious for no reason or the inability to explain why you may be feeling anxious is totally normal. Many struggle with figuring out the why of their anxiety, so you are not alone.

What Is Anxiety?

Have you ever felt nervous, uneasy, scared, unsure, apprehensive? Or experienced heart palpitations, nausea, headaches, shakiness, chest discomfort, stomach pain, shortness of breath, or hot flashes? These are all symptoms under the umbrella of anxiety. Also, anxiety can cause dizziness. When anxious, you usually respond to perceived or real threats in your present and future.¹

Remember that anxiety is an emotion, and feeling anxious is normal. Many of us will experience it at different moments of our lives. However, if these feelings get worse and negatively interfere with your daily functioning, you may be experiencing anxiety symptoms of an anxiety disorder.

Can You Have Anxiety Without a Cause?

Just because you can not identify why you are feeling anxious, does not mean there is not a cause for it. There is typically a reason or an underlying cause to our anxious feelings, and at times we might not be aware of it.

Hidden Triggers of Anxiety

Lacking self-awareness of your emotions can usually cause difficulty in being able to identify what is triggering your anxiety. In fact, this is more common than you think. Possible reasons that someone might have anxiety with an unknown cause include genetics, learned behavior, trauma, unattended stress, other mental health disorders, and health issues.

Genetics

You may be experiencing anxiety due to being related to someone in your direct family who has an anxiety disorder. According to one study, there is approximately a 30% chance of heritability of developing Generalized Anxiety Disorder.² Genetics is something you have no control over, so it can feel frustrating to experience symptoms of anxiety due to genetics.

Trauma Triggers

Direct or indirect exposure to trauma can put you at risk of experiencing feelings of anxiety. Many of us lack self-awareness with how trauma triggers can impact our mental health. Once we’re aware of these treggers, it guides us to self-awareness.

Triggers of trauma can be physical, emotional, and mental responses to your traumatic experiences. Trauma triggers can be internal (traumatic memories, physical pain, negative self-talk, feeling anger, powerlessness/helplessness, shame, and guilt) or external (responding to smells/scents, sounds, colors, places, people, being startled, physical touch and life changes) that remind you of a traumatic experience.(F3)

Certain Foods

Certain foods can cause anxiety. When consuming them, you can trigger the level of anxiety, either by raising it or lowering it. This is due to the chemical makeup some of these foods and beverages are composed of.⁴ We’re all composed of our unique chemical makeup, which then reacts with chemicals in the food we ingest.

Most of us are not aware of foods that contain the substances that trigger anxiety. Some foods that may raise levels of anxiety are coffee, tea, chocolate, soda, candy, ice cream, white pasta, beer, wine, spaghetti, and diet soda.⁴ Foods that may lower your anxiety are chicken, tuna, wheat, brown rice, yogurt, avocado, mushrooms, bananas, peanuts, and sweet potatoes.

Physical Health Problems

Worrying about your physical health is common, especially if you are battling a health condition. The National Institute of Mental Health states that physical health issues such as thyroid issues or heart arrhythmia can cause or provoke symptoms of anxiety.⁵ It’s important to note that physical health issues can also make symptoms of anxiety worse.

Chronic Stress

Stress is a normal way to respond to events or things that occur in our lives, and it is normal to experience stress occasionally. In fact, every time we are confronted with a stressful event in our lives, it automatically triggers our fight or flight response in our brains. When this happens, it can trigger unexpected anxiety.

When you experience a lot of stress or feel like your stressors are unbearable and uncontrollable, you could be experiencing chronic stress. This can, at some point, cause health issues, due to the accumulation of not only mental stress but physical stress it puts on your body.

Insufficient Sleep

Insufficient sleep or lack of sleep is usually reported as a symptom of anxiety disorders. In these cases, most people experience interrupted sleep or have difficulty maintaining or initiating sleep. 60%-70% of people diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder have reported ‘difficulty sleeping.’⁴

Medications

Some adverse effects of prescribed medications can cause you to experience symptoms of anxiety. Some of these negative effects can be short-lasting or severe. This can be due to simply consuming the medication, stopping the medication, or reintroducing the medication.⁵ If you suspect the medication you are taking is triggering anxiety, notify your doctor.

Work Pressure

It is normal for you to feel or experience stress at work. In fact, many people have stressful jobs. Many of us might also feel pressure due to the type of job we have or due to the number of responsibilities we have. At some point, this can become overbearing, trigger symptoms of anxiety, and cause or lead to burnout.

What Is Free Floating Anxiety?

Have you ever felt anxious, uneasy, afraid, overwhelmed, and dread out of nowhere and at random times? Have you been unable to identify why you suddenly started feeling like this? This is defined as free-floating anxiety, which is one of the most common symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Due to these feelings of anxiety emerging randomly, it can make it difficult for you to figure out when and how to manage them. Free-floating anxiety can physically present itself. Headaches, muscle tension, stomach discomfort, nausea, and feeling restless are common physical signs that you are experiencing free-floating anxiety.

Tips for Coping With Unexpected Anxiety

Self-awareness is key in learning how to cope with anxiety, especially when it’s unexpected. Self-awareness does not come naturally to most of us. You can build self-awareness on your own or with the help of a mental health therapist. Once aware of your anxious responses, you can incorporate coping skills.

Generating a toolbox to help you manage and regulate those unexpected symptoms of anxiety can be the beginning of feeling more at ease and confident.

Some ways to cope with unexpected anxiety include:

• Color Breathing: Color breathing can help relax your body as it controls your nervous system. It also helps shift your anxious thoughts by focusing on a color that brings calm thoughts.
• Mindfulness: Mindfulness for anxiety aids in relaxing both your mind and body. One way to do this is by using your five senses (taste, hearing, sight, smell, touch) to be present in the moment.
• Meditation: Meditation for anxiety reduces the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Meditation activities like yoga provide balance, calmness, and peace.
• Journaling: Journaling for anxiety can help because it serves as a way to jot down all of your negative, anxious thoughts. It is also a way to monitor your symptoms and support and enforce self-awareness.
• Exercise: Exercise can help you cope with anxiety as it increases your levels of anti-anxiety chemicals in your brain.
• self-care: Rather it’s getting a massage, getting your nails done, or going for a walk, incorporating tasks like these constantly provides peace of mind.
• Cognitive challenge: Consists of reframing, and rewiring your anxious thoughts. All in all, this will aid in eliminating anxiety-inducing thoughts with positive ones.
• Talk about it: You can experience a sense of relief when you confide in others about your feelings of anxiety. Letting them out can sometimes be enough, especially if you feel supported.

Treatment for Anxiety

Anxiety treatment options can vary from therapy, to lifestyle, and medication. The most traditional are therapy rather than behavioral, cognitive, or acceptance therapy and medication. This includes a comprehensive treatment plan that tracks treatment interventions and your progress. However, tweaking your lifestyle by incorporating things like self-care, exercise, and meditation can also aid in managing your anxiety.

When to Seek Professional Help

Feeling anxious from time to time is common and normal. This type of anxiety won’t interfere with your daily functioning negatively. However, if these feelings get worse and negatively interfere with your daily functioning, this might be a sign that you need to seek professional help. In today’s world, there are multiple outlets to seek professional help.

There are online therapist directories and online therapy platform options. When treating your anxiety, these can provide tailored therapists to your specific needs and wants. If you are considering taking medication to aid in your symptoms of anxiety, Online psychiatrist options are available. Psychiatrists are a good option to help you manage your medication.