Nov 6 • Give Advice
Why Anxiety Feels Everywhere Now
1.Massive Shift in Awareness & Diagnosis
- In the 90s/early 2000s, mental health wasn’t commonly discussed — stigma kept it quiet.
- Diagnostic criteria expanded, so more people qualify for a clinical diagnosis.
- Schools and workplaces now screen for anxiety.
2.Tech & Smartphones Rewired Our Nervous System
- Constant notifications = constant mini adrenaline hits
- Dopamine rollercoaster -> dysregulated brain chemistry
- Endless comparison on social media -> chronic self-doubt
- Blue light at night -> wrecked sleep -> worsened anxiety
The first iPhone came out in 2007 — anxiety diagnoses exploded soon after.
3.Ultra-Processed Foods -> Gut Inflammation -> Brain Inflammation
- Industrial food changed dramatically in the last 20–30 years
- Seed oils, artificial additives, preservatives, sugar spikes → nervous system stress
- Gut microbiome damage → 90% of serotonin & 50% of dopamine are made in the gut
- Blood sugar swings mimic panic symptoms
A dysregulated gut = a dysregulated brain.
4. Chronic Stress Became Normal
- Less community + more workload + financial pressure
- Faster pace of life, less downtime
- Nuclear families -> less support for parents and caregivers
We’re running the same survival software, but in a world that never turns off.
5.Sedentary Lifestyles + Less Natural Light
- Indoor living -> low vitamin D -> low serotonin
- Reduced physical activity -> less stress-buffering hormones
- Lack of nature -> impaired parasympathetic recovery
Our nervous system needs movement and sunshine to feel safe.
6. Increase in Trauma & Feeling Unsafe
- Rising divorce rates, bullying, online harassment
- Media constantly broadcasting crisis -> threat detection always ON
- Loneliness epidemic. Humans aren’t meant to survive alone
Anxiety is often a biological response to real overwhelm.
7.The Pharmaceutical Influence
- Certain diagnoses expanded after medication marketing increased
- Anti-anxiety drugs became mainstream post-2000
- Direct-to-consumer advertising normalized labels + pills
Big Pharma didn’t create anxiety, but they helped create an anxiety identity.
So What Is Anxiety Really?
At its core, anxiety is fear about the future - a threat your mind believes is coming.
But today? Our brain-
- sees 1,000+ threats a day (screens, alerts, news)
- reacts chemically/hormonally as if each event is life or death
- never gets to come back down
Anxiety is a nervous system stuck in protection mode.
FitnHealthy Reframe
Anxiety isn’t a broken brain - it’s an overwhelmed one.
It’s the body saying-
“I don’t feel safe.”
And when we restore the things humans evolved with -
- sunlight
- movement
- real food
- meaningful relationships
- rest
- purpose
- nervous system tools (breathing, grounding)
…anxiety almost always decreases.
Which changes #1 - #7 do you feel impact you the most?
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Why Anxiety Feels Everywhere Now
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