22 Things That Trigger Anxiety (And Make It Hard To Get Through The Day)

Anxiety makes it hard to get through every single day. Even the simplest things can send someone with anxiety into a spiral. Whether you suffer from anxiety yourself or are trying to understand a loved one with anxiety better, here are a few everyday things that can commonly trigger anxiety:

“Whispering from behind me. Maybe it’s a little narcissistic, but I always feel like they’re whispering about me and my anxiety skyrockets. It’s been like that since I was little.” — FrontDeskHoe

“I have particularly terrible anxiety and depression and a simple phone ring or knock at the door does it. Even hearing the sounds of either on TV sets it off.” — NeverTopComment

“Answering questions in class. I know this is a voluntary thing, but as soon as the professor asks a question I know the answer to my heart rate skyrockets as I think about answering. Usually I don’t raise my hand, but it certainly makes me anxious just thinking about it, and then it gets a thousand times worse if they have random call…” — Tasty-Superior-Olive

“Having to walk past a group of teenagers. Nope nope nope.” — fluxhiss

“When I pay at a gas station with cash and there are ten people behind me and I can’t put my money in my wallet fast enough while trying to take my items and move.” — Darth_Miracles

“Typically something at work that either I screwed up or may have screwed up. This results in me realizing it in the middle of the night and panicking. Then I’m up all night. It’s always something that never matters at the end of the day.” — [deleted]

“When I’m talking to someone and their expression changes suddenly, and my stomach drops like ‘fuck, what did I say?’” — Daneiris

“Being in a situation where I am forced to engage in small talk with someone I don’t know in an environment from which I cannot escape.” — Venatoire

“Call on mobile? Stress! Call on work mobile? Stress!! Call on work telephone? FUCKING STRESS!!!” — brandyeyecandy

“Being in people’s way. If I’m at a grocery store and someone else is trying to get past me, but I can’t move because there’s people in front of me, I’m sweating. I hate being in people’s way. Traffic, the store, anything.” — cardell912

“Saying ‘no’ to my employers. They are perfectly reasonable employers and it’s a perfectly reasonable ‘no,’ but I could barely sleep last night. Anxiety disorders really suck.” — IThinkThingsThrough

“Coming to a four-way stop at the exact time as the other cars.” — Herpbivore

“Driving with people who can’t control their road rage.” — stalingradsniper

“A knock on my front door because it’s never anybody I want to talk to.” — Ohsoeasy

“When I’m driving and the police get behind me.” — YaSalam

“Parents don’t pick up their phone after a couple of tries.” — lovenletlive

“When I’m home alone and hear a noise coming from inside the house.” — death-and-tacos

“Hearing we need to talk.” — Odd-looking

 “Someone telling me to take care of their children. Anxiety immediately goes from 0 to 10,000.” — nano_singularity

“Hearing fast music in a video game but not seeing any enemies.” — DontGetJokez

“Any form of second-hand embarrassment.” — Mmmmhbeans

“Any sort of public speaking, it’s paralyzing for me. I have general anxiety problems, not as bad as others, but public speaking will put me into a violent tailspin.” — Hipz