In an era where health advice is everywhere—from apps that track our sleep to devices that monitor our heart rate—it has never been easier to try to “do the right thing” for our well-being. But for some people, the constant push to be healthy can have the opposite effect, triggering stress, anxiety or a sense of unease.
The American Psychiatric Association’s 2025 annual mental health poll found that 59 percent of the 2,204 adults surveyed said they feel anxious about their health. Newsweek spoke to two psychiatrists and a clinical health psychologist about everyday habits that are meant to support well-being but can, in some cases, make anxiety worse.
Exercise is widely promoted as one of the most-effective ways to manage anxiety, but too much of it can backfire. Dr. Simon Faynboym, medical director and psychiatrist at Neuro Wellness Spa in Long Beach, California, told Newsweek that problems arise when exercise shifts from supportive to compulsive.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week—roughly 30 minutes a day, five days a week. However, some people push far beyond this, skipping rest days or feeling compelled to exercise out of guilt or fear.
“[Anxiety] occurs when there is a shift from restorative exercise to compulsive overtraining,” Faynboym said. “I tell my patients frequently that physical activity is one of the most evidence-based tools we have for reducing anxiety symptoms.
“Generally, this resonates with patients, but, when exercise becomes intense and prolonged that driven by guilt or fear, it can cause loss in body protein, it can elevate baseline cortisol, disrupt sleep, and keep the nervous system in a heightened sympathetic (fight or flight) state.”
In some patients with underlying anxiety, perfectionistic traits and/or eating disorders, overtraining can paradoxically amplify restlessness and irritability, worsen their mental state and increase physical anxiety symptoms such as palpitations or muscle tension.
Timing also matters. Exercising too late in the day can interfere with sleep, which, in turn, worsens anxiety.
Faynboym said: “Exercise elevates core body temperature, requiring the body to take time to lower to baseline core body temperature before being able to sleep.
“This further worsens anxiety through sleep deprivation and impaired emotional regulation.
“What starts as a positive coping strategy can become physiologically activating if not balanced with adequate recovery, nutrition, and flexibility.”
Wearable Devices
Wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers monitor real-time health and activity data, from heart rate and sleep to daily movement. They are designed to support well-being by tracking vital signs, improving productivity, offering safety alerts and helping manage chronic conditions.
Nearly 1 in 3 Americans uses a wearable device such as a smartwatch or fitness band to track their health, according to the Health Information National Trends Survey. Among those users, more than 80 percent say they would share data from their device with their doctor. Despite this willingness, fewer than 1 in 4 adults with or at risk of cardiovascular disease currently use wearables.
For some people, however, constant access to health data can fuel anxiety rather than ease it. Dr. Thadeus Koontz, a licensed psychiatrist and CEO of Human Supports of Idaho, told Newsweek that excessive monitoring can reinforce anxious thought patterns.
“Too much checking reinforces hypervigilance in response to body sensations, as well as reinforcing threat-monitoring circuits in the brain,” Koontz said.
“A feedback loop develops where a person monitors, notices a problem, monitors more, and then develops more anxiety.”
“Sometimes, reassurance reinforces reassurance seeking. Tolerating ambiguity may be challenging, but, through exposure, lessens anxiety associated with ambiguity.”
Research supports this concern. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that, among cardiac patients, 20 percent of those using wearable heart monitors experienced anxiety and consistently contacted their physician in response to irregular heart rhythms.
To reduce the risk of anxiety spirals, Koontz said you should be setting boundaries around tracking, such as limiting checks to a preset time, turning off real-time alerts, avoiding checking when already anxious or emotional, and taking a day or two off from monitoring when health conditions allow.
Clean Eating
Eating well is another cornerstone of good health, but rigid approaches to diet can take a psychological toll. Allison Gaffey, Ph.D., a clinical health psychologist at Yale School of Medicine who specializes in the impact of lifestyle factors on mental and heart health, said overly strict eating rules can increase stress rather than reduce it.
“Strict low-sodium or ‘clean eating’ plans can also be problematic if they become rigid or fear-based, increasing stress and excessive worry around food choices instead of supporting a person’s health,” Gaffey told Newsweek.
The National Eating Disorders Association notes that, while caring about nutrition is not inherently harmful, people with orthorexia—an obsession with eating only foods deemed “healthy” or “pure”—can become so fixated that it damages their physical and mental well-being. This can lead to malnutrition and impaired social functioning.
Because orthorexia does not have formal diagnostic criteria, it is difficult to estimate how common it is or whether it is a distinct condition, a form of an existing eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, or linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Studies showing high rates of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) among those affected suggest there may be significant overlap.
Finding Balance
None of the experts Newsweek spoke to are advising people to stop exercising, abandon wearable technology or stop caring about what they eat. Instead, they stress moderation, flexibility and awareness of motivation.
When these habits are used to support well-being—rather than driven by fear, guilt or perfectionism—they can improve mental health, not undermine it.
