Suffer from anxiety? Micro-transitions could be a trigger

Suffering from anxiety can be completely natural at times in our lives – especially when something big is happening, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, exam stress, or concern about finances. In fact, anxiety is so common, one in six Australians report having some form of anxiety disorder.

But sometimes, you might suffer from anxiety when there isn’t anything major happening in your life, and this type of anxiety may be triggered by key moments throughout your day known as ‘micro-transitions’.

What are micro-transitions?

Micro-transitions are moments where something is beginning or ending in your day, or where you’re shifting from one state of mind to another. 

This type of change can trigger a reaction in your brain that can make you feel unsure or anxious. You may not even notice that it’s happened, but you might suddenly feel inexplicably tense or worried.

Once micro-transition-induced anxiety is a part of your life, even the anticipation of small changes may set off your anxiety.

Common micro-transitions that could trigger your anxiety

Although any kind of change in your day can trigger anxiety, there are some common changes you might recognise:

·  Change of company – you may feel comfortable watching TV on the couch with your significant other, but enter your new housemate or mother-in-law and your brain could shift to high alert, and feelings of anxiety. Feeling like we have to concentrate harder on what we’re saying or put on our more public persona can lead us to feel anxious or stressed.

·  Change of activity – if you’ve been doing something enjoyable, whether it’s socialising with friends on the weekend or getting home from a fun holiday, you might become anxious as you anticipate the ending of that activity and getting back to ‘business as usual’. It’s easy to have a feeling of dread that things won’t be as fun or easy, triggering feelings of anxiety.

·  Competing obligations – whether your plans are of the fun, social kind or you have steep deadlines at work, having obligations that overlap or compete with one another can trigger our fight-or-flight response, making us feel anxious instead of enjoying the social events and focusing on the work that needs to be done.

·  Sunset – when the afternoon shifts into the evening, this can cause feelings of worry about your sleep. If you regularly have trouble sleeping, the sky darkening can signal the beginning of that struggle for another night. Our brains can also associate darkness with being in physical danger or needing to be on high alert, thanks to our primal brains that used to have to protect us from predators after sundown.

How to handle micro-transitions

The first step to managing anxiety from micro-transitions is to recognise the signs that you’re feeling anxious. According to Beyond Blue, these may include:

·  panic attacks

·  racing heart

·  tightening of the chest

·  quick breathing

·  feeling tense, wound up and edgy

·  excessive fear or worry

·  avoiding those situations that make you feel anxious.

If you notice those symptoms around the time of small transitions in your day, it may help to try:

·  slowing down your breathing, counting to three as you inhale and then when you exhale

·  stay in the present moment and try not to allow your mind to worry about things that haven’t happened

·  if you tend to avoid micro-transitions, take a small step forward by doing something that makes you worried, and give yourself credit for it

·  challenge any negative self-talk: is it true and what evidence is there

·  be kind to yourself if you feel anxious sometimes – it does not define you, nor does it diminish your value as a person

·  if you find your anxiety affecting your day-to-day life, you may wish to speak to your doctor about the right treatment for you.

Here is some further reading on dealing with depression and anxiety.

If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety and needs to talk to someone, please call Lifeline on 13 11 44.

If you are experiencing symptoms, you should speak to a doctor to find out the right treatment for you. You can request a telehealth consultation with one of our Australian-registered doctors from anywhere in Australia, seven days a week.

This article was written by Carolyn Tate, a Brisbane-based writer with a particular interest in women’s health, mental health and living well. Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Professional Writing and a Bachelor of Political Science.