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7 Surprising Stress Mistakes You Might Be Making

7 Surprising Stress Mistakes You Might Be Making
Frustrated young woman keeping eyes closed and massaging nose while sitting at her working place in office
g-stockstudio via Getty Images
Frustrated young woman keeping eyes closed and massaging nose while sitting at her working place in office

When it comes to stress, you might be your own worst enemy.

Sure, external factors are a huge contributor to an uptick in anxiety ― but what about those times where it seemingly comes out of nowhere? Or what about when that situation you’ve been mulling over only seems to intensify?

It turns out your habits can affect how you feel just as much as the initial situation that’s stressing you out. And what you think is actually helping your worries might be making them worse. Below are just a few ways your behavior may be sabotaging your stress levels:

1. You avoid what’s bothering you.

As tempting as it is to ditch the source of your stress and head for greener pastures (in your mind, at least), it’s not going to work. Experts say this method is actually counterintuitive. “Avoiding makes it like it isn’t happening — and the more you avoid it the worse it gets ... The more you deal with things that stress you out, the more mastery you have over them,” David Spiegel, Stanford University’s associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, previously told HuffPost.

2. You stayed up past your bed time.

Sure, hitting the hay at 1 a.m. doesn’t seem like a bad idea at the time, but your emotions might beg to differ. Stress and lack of sleep may as well be partners in crime. You’re more likely to be irritable and ruminate over your worries without proper rest.

3. You gave into your inner couch potato.

Want to blow off steam? Hit the pavement. Exercise is known for reducing stress. Even if just a walk makes a difference. Whatever you do, don’t stick to the couch: Studies also suggest that being sedentary can take a toll on mental wellbeing.

4. You vented to your friends.