Tips for Introverts Struggling with Anxiety

Tips for Introverts Struggling with Anxiety

Is anxiety more of a problem for introverts? I’ve always thought so!

A lot of people struggle to cope with anxiety and I wondered if this was more of a problem for introverts as we tend to spend a lot of time rehashing our thoughts.

Too Much Anxiety Can Be Bad for Our Health

Everyone suffers from anxiety at some point but too much anxiety can affect our well-being in a negative way.

Even though anxiety is considered a negative state and something to be avoided at all costs, anxiety may have benefits such as motivating us to take action.

But too much internal dialogue can set off a downward spiral of negative feelings. And indeed, anxiety and depression are more common among introverts than extroverts.

What’s an Introvert to Do?

If you want to get a handle on your anxiety, you’ll need to discover what’s causing you to feel anxious.

Do you have financial worries that keep you up at night? Maybe you are looking for work and are feeling anxious about having to go through job interviews. Health concerns are another common cause of worry. Perhaps you have to give a talk at work or at school and you hate public speaking.

In addition to these common worries, if you are an introvert you may become anxious because you are thinking too much.

Researchers have found that when they looked at the brain activity of introverts AND extroverts it was the introverts who had the highest levels of brain activity. Introverts have a preference for solitude for a reason. It seems that carving out some quiet time throughout the day is essential for our mental health.

What Can You Do to Reduce Anxiety?

Trying to think your way out of a stressful situation will probably only make it worse. Instead you may want to try something different:

1. Learn to meditate. Mindfulness meditation helps us to become aware of our thoughts when they pop into our head. Meditating helps us to to recognize our thoughts and then tell them to go away instead of rehashing them over and over. It’s not easy to meditate on a regular basis but it is a skill that can be learned and the effort will be well worth it. After struggling to meditate on my own I took classes which made all the difference in the world.
2. Take up drumming. For those of you who prefer being active drumming is a fun form of meditation that requires us to focus. I joined a drumming circle last year and quickly learned that if I let my mind wander I couldn’t keep rhythm with the rest of the group.

And, of course, just about any kind of exercise has been proven to reduce anxiety.

The important thing is that with a bit of effort you can reduce your anxiety levels. Meditation, drumming and physical exercise are just a few of the things that work for me.