My Behavior: Is it Healthy or Destructive?

People everywhere have a difficult time identifying which behaviors it is that they should engage in, and which behaviors they should not engage in. There are millions of different ways to live life, and the task seems overwhelming as to which life seems to be the best one to pick. In relation to anxiety, which behaviors are ones that seem to reduce anxiety, and which behaviors are ones that tend to increase it? This is a very complicated question to ask, and in the following paragraphs a brief guide will be presented that will help one to identify which behaviors to add to his or her life.

The first item to mention is that there is no possible way to map out each and every behavior that is good and each and every behavior that is bad. Some behaviors exist which are just fine in reality, but to some people these behaviors are highly objectionable. For example, look at praying. Praying and the use of religion can be very beneficial and functional for many people, whereas many others may consider it very unhelpful.

I recall a post from a forum from one social anxiety sufferer who was proud that he had started a fight and yelled at the cops after a night of binge drinking. To him, it seemed that this was a big triumph over anxiety. But, in reality, it was a very destructive behavior, as it relied on overconsumption of alcohol, which harms a person's judgment and only increases anxiety. Second, this person started a fight with another person and the police for no apparently good reason. So, what seemed to him to be healthy was actually in fact quite destructive.

What is meant by healthy and what is meant by destructive? Healthy behaviors are those which tend to increase our happiness, well-being, and the overall functioning of our lives. Destructive behaviors are those which do the opposite and tend to decrease our happiness, well-being, and overall functioning in out lives. In relation to anxiety, healthy behaviors tend to reduce anxiety, whereas destructive behaviors tend to increase anxiety.

Healthy behaviors in relation to anxiety include exercise, talking to friends, eating a healthy diet, and many other things. Destructive behaviors in relation to anxiety include isolating, excessive self-criticism, and avoidance of situations most people tend to enjoy. The point of all this talk is to help one identify which healthy behaviors he or she is engaging in so that he or she can continue to engage in those in order to reduce his or anxiety, and also to determine which behaviors are destructive so that he or she can reduce the frequency and duration of these behaviors so that his or her anxiety is also reduced.

Some healthy and some destructive behaviors are very obviously identified by the effects they cause in our lives. Isolation is obviously unhealthy because it keeps one away from people and in his or her own head, which only increases anxiety. Exercising is obviously healthy because it releases stress-reducing endorphins that help to reduce anxiety. Judging whether a behavior is healthy or destructive can be very tricky sometimes. Talking with a trusted friend, family, or counselor may help one to identify whether the behavior is healthy or destructive. Reading online research from reputable resources can also be very beneficial. Some people have very strong internal guides that intuitively tell the person whether or not they were engaging in a healthy or destructive behavior. Finally, if none of these previous methods work, it is good to ask one's self a few questions: What effects are created in my life because of my behavior? Am I harming other people or myself, physically or emotionally, because of my behavior? If everyone else in the world engaged in this behavior, would the result be chaotic or peaceful? Are there specific laws against this behavior? What do mental health professionals or other behavioral scientists say about this behavior? How do I feel about myself after engaging in this behavior?

After one asks him or herself these questions and provides honest answers, he or she can usually tell very quickly whether the behavior is healthy or destructive. If the answers tend to be negative and involve causing harm to others or one's self, the behavior is a destructive one. If the answers tend to be positive and involve making one or others feel better, the behavior is probably a healthy one.

As note earlier, not every behavior can be specifically laid out. And, to further confuse the question, many groups of people tend to believe a certain destructive behavior is actually good to have. Many family systems tend to encourage alcoholism or drug addiction, two lifestyles that are highly destructive and that hurt very many people. Every behavior that a person decides to act on can be classified as healthy or destructive; the important point is to identify the major ones, such as unnecessary anxiety in the form of an anxiety disorder, that are significantly hampering or helping one's condition in life.

Good luck to the anxiety sufferer as he or she works on identifying whether certain behaviors are healthy or destructive!