Interesting Psychology Team
7 – Hoarding
Anxiety can show up as having a “scarcity mentality,” causing you to believe that you will never have enough stuff in your life and this can lead to hoarding behaviors.
Stocking up for future disasters isn’t a bad thing all on its own but having a basement full of food you’ll never be able to eat, or years’ worth of toilet paper is definitely not healthy. You may also have a hard time throwing things away, or you hold onto stuff “just in case.”That said, not every person with anxiety feels the need to hoard, but most hoarders do suffer from anxiety.
8 – Impulsivity
Impulsivity isn’t limited to shopping; it can make you want to overhaul your entire life on a whim. For instance, you may suddenly decide to quit your job, move to another country, or end a significant relationship.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting a change of scenery or a new job, as long as a lot of thought and planning goes behind these decisions first. Failing to do so could mean you’re dealing with anxiety.
9 – Crying Easily
Crying is often associated with sadness and depression. But anxiety can also lead to crying, not because you’re sad, but rather because you feel overwhelmed. It can happen anytime, when something even slightly stressful happens, or just during a normal part of your day.
If you’re so overwhelmed that you find yourself crying easily, it’s a definite sign that you should reach out for help. There’s no reason you should have to feel so bad all the time or let it take over your life.
10 – Indecisiveness
When it comes to decision-making, people with anxiety have a tendency to make them too quickly, or they have trouble making them at all. It takes cognitive energy to make decisions, and anxiety saps this energy by using it upon worrying and overthinking, making it much more difficult to make decisions, big or small.
Something as simple as deciding what you want for lunch can be a struggle, never mind major decisions like figuring out what job offer to accept, which is already stressful enough to begin with.
11 – Disorganization
Experiencing disorganization is similar to indecision, though it’s a much lesser-known symptom. Anxiety makes it hard for your brain to deal with planning and organization. Putting tasks in order becomes a much bigger struggle than it should be.
This results in a state of general disorganization, which can significantly impact many different parts of your life. You may end up missing meetings, running late for work, having a messy living space, or even forgetting to pay bills!
12 – Sleep Problems
Anxiety and sleeping problems tend to go hand-in-hand, though many people don’t make the connection. Feeling tense and having worrying thoughts can make it really challenging to get enough shut-eye.
So if you find that you’re struggling to turn your brain off when it’s time to lay down, or you keep waking up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, anxiety could be the cause.
The Main takeaway
While these signs may not spring to mind when picturing anxiety, they are all symptoms of it, and many people experience them. If one or more of these sound familiar, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask questions, get information, or reach out for help.
These symptoms can be managed and helped, so if you think you could be suffering from anxiety, talk to a professional to see how you can go about it. What do you think? Were you surprised by these symptoms of anxiety that often go unnoticed? Have you experienced any of them? Let us know in the comments section.
