Did you know that anxiety can be contagious? Thanks to a HuffPost article we are learning more about it and honestly it makes sense.
"Contagious Anxiety" can happen in real life or through social media. According to Carrie Howard, a licensed clinical social worker and anxiety coach:
“Contagious anxiety can happen in the context of being in close proximity with someone, or it could also happen in a larger context, like at a grocery store. For example, if you’ll remember the great toilet paper panic of COVID ― when even just going to the store or hearing that other people were buying toilet paper ― it’s like all of a sudden it incited that anxiety in all of us."
It's actually something that is ingrained in out DNA (thanks evolution!)
“Humans are social beings, we are deeply wired to recognize and respond to emotional signals, especially when it comes to the detection of danger,” Howard explained. “If someone near us is anxious, we may instinctively assume they’re detecting some sort of threat that we’re not yet aware of, and then we begin to share that person’s vigilance to keep ourselves safe as well.”
So how do you know if you're dealing with contagious anxiety? Some signs include your mood changing out of no where and not being able to pinpoint why you're anxious
Source: HuffPost