Why Do I Feel Anxious All The Time?

One look around, and there are many things to feel anxious about, from a worldview level, to the anxieties in our own home. There is no shortage of what could cause a rising tide of emotion, sleepless nights, shortness of breath, irritability, or difficulty completing tasks. Moreover, accessibility through social media provides an influx of information faster than one can develop coping skills to manage the information, further increasing panic or doubt in one’s ability to manage anxiety well.

Anxiety is not a new feeling to manage, and in fact, a small amount of anxiety is an important part of life. Being anxious before a test, important meeting, first day of school, or first date, signals that you care very much about what you’re engaging in and want to be prepared, even potentially heightening your skills, to complete the task well.

So perhaps the truer question is “why am I feeling more anxious all the time,” or “why can’t I manage my anxieties the way I used to?” Dr. Dan Siegal coined the idea of the “window of tolerance” in 1999 as the “optimal emotional zone to exist in, to best function and thrive in daily life.” When we experience internal or external stressors that knock us out of this optimal zone, we struggle for the groundedness and peace that allows us to manage life’s stressors.

Life and the world around us will always hold a level of stress and anxiety, much of which is out of our control. But the boundaries and ability to recognize and expand one’s window of tolerance is a learned skill. Learning how to expand one’s window of tolerance allows for greater success in staying at peace and having a regulated emotional state, even when life get’s intense.

Our highly trained therapists have all the skills to not only help you recognize what is causing you to extend past your window of tolerance, but also to assist you in developing skills to expand the window of tolerance, maintaining presence and peace more often and for longer times.

Reach out to us for a free phone consult or book an appointment and let’s get started helping you manage your anxieties and stay grounded and at peace.