Paradoxically, people prone to anxiety sometimes stubbornly refuse to relax. The reason for this strange behavior is most likely that they are striving to avoid a big surge of anxiety if something bad happens.
We all know that relaxing is good and pleasant, both for the soul and for the body. What, exactly, could be wrong here? All the more strange is the behavior of people who resist relaxation and maintain their usual level of anxiety. In a recent experiment, researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that participants who were more prone to negative emotions—those who quickly became frightened, for example—were more likely to experience anxiety when doing relaxation exercises. What should have calmed them down was actually unsettling.
“These people may continue to worry in order to avoid a significant spike in anxiety,” Newman explains. “But really, it’s still worth allowing yourself the experience. The more often you do this, the more you understand that there is nothing to worry about. Mindfulness training and other practices can help people release tension and stay in the present moment.”
PhD student and project participant Hanju Kim says the study also sheds light on why relaxation treatments, originally designed to improve well-being, can cause even more anxiety for some. “This is what happens to those who suffer from anxiety disorders and just need relaxation more than others. We hope that the results of our study can help such people.”
Researchers have known about relaxation-induced anxiety since the 1980s, Newman says, but the cause of the phenomenon has remained unknown. Working on the theory of contrast avoidance in 2011, the scientist considered that these two concepts could be connected. At the heart of her theory is the idea that people can worry on purpose: this is how they try to avoid the disappointment that they will have to endure if something bad happens.
It doesn’t really help, it just makes the person even more miserable. But because most of the things we worry about don’t end up happening, the mindset becomes fixed: «I was worried and it didn’t happen, so I need to keep worrying.»
People with generalized anxiety disorder are sensitive to sudden outbursts of emotion.
To participate in a recent study, researchers invited 96 students: 32 with generalized anxiety disorder, 34 with major depressive disorder, and 30 people without disorders. The researchers first asked participants to do relaxation exercises and then showed videos that could cause fear or sadness.
The subjects then answered a series of questions to measure their sensitivity to changes in their own emotional state. For example, for some people, watching the video immediately after relaxation caused discomfort, while others felt that the session helped them cope with negative emotions.
In the second phase, the organizers of the experiment once again put the participants through a series of relaxation exercises and then again asked them to complete a questionnaire to measure anxiety.
After analyzing the data, the researchers found that people with generalized anxiety disorder were more likely to be sensitive to sudden emotional outbursts, such as the transition from relaxed to frightened or stressed. In addition, this sensitivity was also associated with feelings of anxiety that the subjects experienced during the relaxation sessions. The rates were similar in people with major depressive disorder, although in their case the effect was not as pronounced.
Hanju Kim hopes the results of the study can help professionals work with people suffering from anxiety disorders to reduce their anxiety levels. Ultimately, scientists’ research is aimed at better understanding the work of the psyche, finding more effective ways to help people and improve their quality of life.