There are so many factors that can lead to one experiencing anxiety. An example of a situation that could cause anxiety to occur can be seen in someone who is out of work and struggling to find employment. Being in such a situation might make the individual concerned obsessively worry about their financial position. Having money worries can, of course, cause anxiety to arise. Other reasons why being unemployed could cause one to experience anxiety is because it can lead to low self esteem developing in people who might feel ‘ashamed’ or ‘embarrassed’ about the current position they find themselves seemingly ‘trapped’ in.
Whilst unemployment can cause widespread feelings of anxiety in many people, the personality of individual people and their overall outlook on life can serve to either help or hinder them. By this I mean, if, for example, someone very much considers themselves to be an ‘optimist’ who always looks on the bright side of life, their anxiety is likely to be much less severe compared to someone who considers themselves to be a ‘pessimist.’ This is because people with a positive mental attitude are more likely to see unemployment as nothing more than a minor setback. Some people might even see it as an opportunity for growth and positive change. Therefore, rather than dwelling on the unfortunate situation, optimists instead choose to direct their energy into focusing on the good, looking forwards to the future rather than looking back towards the past.
This is very different to people who possess a more negative mental attitude towards setbacks such as unemployment. So called ‘pessimists’ are more likely to let their position ‘get them down.’ They might lack motivation to do other activities that they used to enjoy, and this would, in turn, cause their mental health to suffer to an even greater extent as a direct result of their ‘defeatist’ attitude.
It is therefore important that people try to adopt positive thinking wherever possible, since positive thoughts are likely to quieten those anxious ‘voices’ and make challenging situations seem a lot less challenging.
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