Are you on a mission to overcome panic attacks and restore your personal balance? In that case, you should keep in mind there are several common habits which contribute directly to the development of this condition. And some of these bad habits aren’t necessarily obvious; in fact, they wouldn’t even be so harmful for anyone who doesn’t suffer from anxiety issues.

If you’re serious about curbing the grasp of anxiety in your life, here are some habits that you should seriously consider changing:

Drinking Coffee

For most people, coffee is a wonderful stimulant that helps them stay awake and get productive. But for someone suffering from panic disorders, coffee is actually an anxiety inducing substance that should be avoided. You may not be aware of its influence over your life, but if you manage to cut down (or altogether avoid) drinking coffee, you’ll quickly notice improvements in your inner balance.

Refined Sugars

Refined sugars are all-around bad for your health, but when you suffer from anxiety… they are simply a poison that must be avoided. It’s not that sugar will directly add to your anxiety; but the insulin roller-coaster that your body is subject to when you eat lots of sugar will add strength to those minor physical symptoms that cause you so much discomfort and stress.

Alcohol & Drugs

Substance abuse issues tend to go hand in hand with anxiety disorder; while these drugs may sometimes appear to bring about a sense of relief from your troubles, that’s just an illusion. If you keep seeking this kind of refuge, you’ll eventually develop addiction issues that will only add to your problems. Not to mention that the come down from any drug will make your anxiety grow stronger.

Sedentary Lifestyle

The vast majority of chronic anxiety sufferers tend to lead a highly sedentary lifestyle, which is no coincidence. Regular physical activity will tend to off-set the negative influences of stress, through the natural effect of endorphins: the body’s natural feel-good chemicals which are released during moments of intense physical activity. If you have a tendency for low physical activity, that will actually get you caught up in an anxiety inducing cycle. Try to break through this cycle of non-activity and you’ll soon notice improvements in your mental stability.

Lack of Sleep

Sleep deprivation is another common habit among anxiety patients, and for logic reason. People who struggle with anxiety often suffer from insomnia and/or are subject to many external sources of stress, which rob them of quality sleep time. Unfortunately, being unable to sleep properly will tend to worsen the effects of anxiety, so this is another cycle that patients must attempt to disrupt. Try to find ways to sleep your full 8 hours per night, even if that means letting go of your evening leisure moments.

The Victim Mindset

It’s all to easy for a person struggling with anxiety to get caught up in the victim mindset… after all, this is a far-reaching and disturbing condition that affects many aspects of your life. However, letting yourself feel like a victim will only make the shackles of anxiety get stronger every day. You should move towards the realization that even though you have troubles, there are practical ways to deal with them… and keeping a positive attitude will help you all the way through your struggle.