If you grew up journaling, or have never journaled before, you may have heard of this as a mental health tool but may wonder how it relates to anxiety and difficult thought cycles. Thought cycles can be caused by a desire to control or work out the possibilities of something that, frankly, may not be able to be controlled at the moment. Other times, ruminating thoughts can occur because we are replaying a moment that we wish went differently, or we can be avoiding a feeling and instead, thinking about it, which makes it seem like we’re tending to it. Much of the time, this may be a natural cause of life. Anxiety can come in many forms.

Most people can identify stressors in their lives that increase anxiety: paying bills, looking for a new job, ending a relationship, for example. However, some people might be surprised to learn that food can significantly impact our mood and increase anxiety.

Eating foods rich in protein, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids are known to fight depression and other mood disorders. However, on the flip side, eating the wrong kinds of food can cause depression, anxiety and worsen existing symptoms.

If you have panic attacks or suffer from a mood disorder, it’s helpful to identify which foods may trigger or exacerbate symptoms. As a general rule, the following 5 foods should be avoided if you suffer from anxiety.

Rates of anxiety and depression among teens in the U.S. have been rising for years. In the latest results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Behavior Survey, 32 percent of teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Two new books offer advice to parents and caregivers.

Although rumination occurs naturally from time to time, when it feels like your mind is running a mile a minute, it can really feel distressing, overwhelming and endless. Times like these, you may wonder, is there anything that can truly quiet the mind?

The reality is that worrying is, more often than not, unproductive, but has the illusion of feeling productive when we engage in it. If we hash out possibilities and options over and over, we think that we are doing something about our fears and anxieties. Most of the time, it gets us nowhere, and only winds up causing further anxiety.