It’s natural to sometimes second guess your relationship. In some cases, healthy even! However, too much relationship anxiety can lead to trouble and become a problem for your relationship.
If you have been worrying about that, you are in the right place, because knowing what relationship anxiety really is and what it can mean for you and your partner can go a long way in helping you to deal with it.
If you want to avoid being in a relationship that is unhealthy, abusive or toxic, dealing with relationship anxiety is very important. But to do that, you must know what relationship anxiety actually is and what it brings to the table.
While it is normal to worry about your relationship, relationship anxiety is when you are excessively worried, and without any real cause. When you are insecure about your relationship or yourself, it can give rise to relationship anxiety, which in turn makes you even more insecure and the cycle carries on.
It is very necessary to break out of the toxic cycle of relationship anxiety, and to do that you must be able to recognise it for what it is.
Some of the most common traits of relationship anxiety are:
1. Self-esteem issues
If you find yourself constantly worrying about whether you are good enough for your partner or not, and mentally putting yourself down and reinforcing negative thoughts, it can be a sign of relationship anxiety.
2. Possessiveness
Relationship anxiety can make you very possessive of your partner. You might become extremely controlling of their behaviour and this can lead to stress in the relationship.
3. Clinginess
Besides becoming possessive, you might also become needy and clingy, constantly demanding that your partner shower you with affection. While everybody likes to be pampered and loved, this behaviour can soon get out of hand and cause troubles for you and your partner.
4. Overthinking
Do you often find yourself overanalysing every little thing that your partner says or does? Do you have a tendency to overreact and make mountains out of molehills? It could be because you are insecure about the relationship that you two share and it might be a good time for the both of you to have a heart to heart conversation.
This kind of behaviour can push away the people you love and make you both feel lonely and hurt. However, it doesn’t always have to be that way. There are some ways in which you can deal with your dating anxiety and work through it so that you and your partner may be able to enjoy a more fulfilling relationship. Some of these ways are listed below!
Understanding the cause
Understanding what it is that your insecurity stems from can go a long way in helping you to identify the root cause, ad tackle the problem more efficiently. Once you know why you are insecure, you will find it easier to accept your insecurity and thus move on with your life.
1. Exercise
Exercising releases happy hormones in the body. These hormones will keep you in a happy state of mind naturally, and help you work through your relationship anxiety.
2. Pick up a hobby
Picking up a hobby and keeping yourself occupied will leave you with very little time to think negatively. When you are busy doing something you enjoy, you will automatically have less time to be anxious about problems that aren’t even there in the first place.
3. Communicate
One of the best ways to work through relationship anxiety is by openly communicating with your partner. When you tell them exactly what is bothering you, you give them the chance to help you work through your problems in a way that doesn’t jeopardise your relationship.
4. Get help
If all else fails, you can opt for couple’s therapy, and work through your problems together so that nobody has to suffer alone.