Stresslaxing

Stresslaxing is a relatively new term, but in recent times, more people are experiencing it than ever before. Stresslaxing: Being so stressed that relaxing makes you more stressed because you’re not working on what’s making you stressed.

Even though stresslaxation is a new term, it describes relaxation-induced anxiety, which has been studied for years. This is shown to happen to between 30% and 50% of people when they try to do relaxing things, causing symptoms of stress (such as rapid heart beat or sweating).

It’s paradoxical, given that people who experience stresslaxation may need to do something relaxing to de-stress. This can turn into a destructive, vicious cycle in which they can’t alleviate the stress they’re experiencing—which could result in having more negative emotions and panic attacks.