Anxiety
Anxiety is a complicated thing.
It comes in many forms, from generalized anxiety disorder to Anxiety panic attacks and social phobia, and even just general stress at work or school.
9 Ways to Combat Anxiety
For those who suffer from anxiety, there are strategies that can help us cope with the feeling of being overwhelmed. Here are some useful tips for managing your own anxiety:
Breathe
If you're having a panic attack, it's essential to breathe. One of the worst things about anxiety is that it can make us forget how to breathe. The natural reaction when someone feels like they can't breathe is to start breathing faster and more shallowly. This leads to hyperventilation, which makes the symptoms worse.
Try taking slow, deep breaths: inhale for five seconds, hold for five seconds and then exhale for five seconds before repeating this cycle until you feel yourself begin to calm down (it may help if someone else reminds you of how long each cycle lasts).
2. Meditate
You can practice meditation anywhere, at any time, that is one of the best aspects about this! Meditation is simply the act of focusing on your breath and your body, or calming your mind. It can help you relax, focus better, and even reduce stress.
In order to meditate effectively, you need only two things: an intention for why you're doing it (your intention) and a way to focus (your method). Your ability to sit down with both will help you calm down when anxiety strikes—or any other time.
3. Consider what's making you anxious.
You might have anxiety because you think your job is going to be outsourced and your life will change. You might feel anxiety about an upcoming event, a recent change, a relationship. These are all valid fears, and it's not surprising that you'd feel anxious about that. Give yourself grace and know that feeling anxiety is a part of the human experience. But what can help? Try talking with friends or family about it—they may have some ideas for how to handle the situation that aren't as scary as they seem at first.
You may also find comfort in knowing that many other people are feeling similar fears these days, so there's no need to try and handle it all by yourself.
4. Come up with a plan for how to handle the situation.
• Make a plan of action that includes the following:
• Being prepared for what might happen.
• What will you do if the worst case scenario happens?
• How long do you want to stay in the situation before leaving?
5. Keep a gratitude journal.
GRATITUDE
A gratitude journal is a simple practice in which you write down three things you are grateful for each day.
Why? Because it helps to build positive emotions and creates an overall more positive outlook on life. The benefits of keeping a gratitude journal include improved sleep, reduced stress levels, increased optimism and happiness (which can lead to better health), as well as less anxiety. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or looking for ways to reduce your anxiety without medication, try keeping a gratitude journal! It may help keep your mind off of negative thoughts and feelings related to anxiety or depression by focusing on the good things in life that we often take for granted .
How do I keep one?
The first step is choosing what type of notebook or app will work best for you—there are tons out there! Try using a paper notebook at first so that writing by hand will feel more personal
Recognize when you're feeling anxious.
Anxiety is a feeling, but it’s also a state of mind. It can be difficult to know when you’re feeling anxious and when you’re just experiencing an unpleasant emotion. If you notice any of the following symptoms, it could be that you are experiencing anxiety:
• Restlessness
• Feelings of dread or doom
• Difficulty concentrating
• Tension in your muscles and headaches
6. Plan your day (especially if tomorrow is going to be a struggle)
Plan your day the night before. If tomorrow is going to be a struggle, start planning for it tonight. If you know what’s coming up, you can make sure that there are no surprises and that you have everything ready to go in the morning. You will feel less anxious knowing that your day is planned out, and it will help keep things on track when stress or anxiety strikes.
7. Take slow, deep breaths.
Focus on your breath and inhale for five seconds, hold it for five seconds, then exhale for five seconds. Repeat this until you feel yourself begin to calm down.
Breathing is a great way to calm down because it works the same way as meditation: your body naturally produces a chemical called oxytocin when you breathe deeply and slowly, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and decrease feelings of stress or anxiety. You don't need any fancy equipment or training—just close your eyes and focus on breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Don’t hold your breath! Also avoid over-breathing (breathing too deeply) or holding it too long—both are counterproductive because they cause an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the blood rather than decreasing them as intended by this exercise.
8. Consider what's making you anxious.
Is there something specific that is stressing you out? Identify it and try to understand why it’s causing anxiety in the first place — then try to imagine yourself handling the situation well so that you can keep your calm moving forward. If the anxiety is more general, find something else to think about and be mindful of your thoughts by asking yourself if this worry is realistic or helpful for your future goals and dreams.
9. Think through what's making you anxious.
Is there something specific that is stressing you out? Identify it and try to understand why it’s causing anxiety in the first place — then try to imagine yourself handling the situation well so that you can keep your calm moving forward. If the anxiety is more general, find something else to think about and be mindful of your thoughts by asking yourself if this worry is realistic or helpful for your future goals and dreams.
This advice isn't just for people with diagnosed mental health disorders; everyone should keep these tips in mind when they're feeling anxious or stressed out!
It’s okay if you get anxious sometimes. Everyone does. But it becomes a problem when it starts interfering with your lifestyle. So the next time you feel yourself getting stressed out, try these tips! Take some time to assess what’s going on in your mind and body, then try some of these tips for managing your stress levels in order to stay happy and productive throughout the day.
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