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Managing Anxiety Triggers in Everyday Life

Donna L Roberts, PhD (Psych Pstuff)
Psych Pstuff
Published in
9 min readJan 10, 2025

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Photo by Joice Kelly on Unsplash

Anxiety, which manifests as both a psychological and physiological response to perceived threats or stressors, can be triggered by a variety of everyday situations, ranging from interpersonal conflicts and work deadlines to unexpected life changes and health concerns (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022). Although a certain level of anxiety can be adaptive — alerting individuals to potential dangers and motivating them to prepare for challenges — excessive or poorly managed anxiety can erode mental well-being and compromise physical health (Craske, Stein, Eley, Milad, & Holmes, 2017). This intricate interplay between personal vulnerabilities, contextual pressures, and cognitive processes makes anxiety a multifaceted condition that requires both understanding and targeted coping strategies. Yet, learning to identify and mitigate anxiety triggers is not a uniform or monolithic endeavor, as each person’s life circumstances and emotional thresholds vary markedly.

In response to these complexities, contemporary psychology offers a range of evidence-based approaches that place emphasis on both internal factors — such as negative thought patterns or self-defeating beliefs — and external factors — like environmental stressors or relationship dynamics — that collectively shape one’s anxiety response (Craske et al., 2017). From mindfulness-based techniques and…

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Donna L Roberts, PhD (Psych Pstuff)
Donna L Roberts, PhD (Psych Pstuff)

Written by Donna L Roberts, PhD (Psych Pstuff)

Writer and university professor researching the human condition, generational studies, human and animal rights, and the intersection of art and psychology

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