8 Tips And Techniques To Help Manage Your Anxiety
Most people experience occasional anxiety, whether it’s related to excess stress, an upcoming challenge, or a co-occurring health condition. While anxiety is a normal reaction, it can seriously impact your life if it becomes excessive or persistent. If you're struggling with anxiety, implementing proven coping strategies can help you address your symptoms and limit its negative effects. The following are eight techniques for reducing anxiety so that you can live a calm, healthy life.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety refers to feelings of fear, discomfort, and nervousness. It can involve a range of symptoms and experiences depending on the individual and circumstances, such as rapid breathing, feeling scared, increased sweating, racing thoughts, trouble concentrating, or attacks (also known as panic attacks). There are several potential key factors to anxiety, but these feelings can also arise without a specific trigger. Anxiety that is persistent or severe may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health conditions, affecting—according to the American Psychiatric Association—approximately “30% of adults at some point in their lives.
How to relieve stress and anxiety
Due to the above-mentioned prevalence of anxiety disorders, and the serious complications they can produce, a variety of proven-effective strategies have been developed over the years to address symptoms and risk factors. The following are eight tips for relief from anxiety.
Try to change your thinking around anxiety
The way we think has a substantial impact on how we feel; and, in many cases, anxiety is caused or exacerbated by unhelpful thought patterns. Learning how to reframe such beliefs and emotions can help you improve symptoms.
For example, if an individual frequently experiences nervousness and fear surrounding exams, they may have certain irrational thoughts underlying this anxiety. They may feel that their self-worth is tied to academic success or believe that they won’t be able to find a stable job if they fail. Challenging and replacing these beliefs can help the individual alleviate their worry.
This technique, called cognitive reframing, is a core principle of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a common psychotherapeutic modality used to treat mental health conditions. If you’d like to learn more about identifying and replacing negative thought patterns, a therapist who practices CBT can help you get started.
Practice deep breathing
There are many ways that you can practice deep breathing. Belly-breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, is a popular option. To do this, simply sit in a comfortable position. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach. As you inhale deeply to the count of four, feel your hands raising as both your lungs and your diaphragm fill with air. This helps you know that you are taking a deep breath. Then exhale all the air out of your lungs and feel both of your hands go back down. Take your time doing this, allowing your mind and body to calm.
Address the sources of your anxiety
We often exacerbate worry by delaying things that we have to do. For example, if you're anxious because the due date for a big project is coming around and you haven't completed it yet, working on it may help. It's often the fear of what we think the outcome could be that causes us to procrastinate. However, many times, the actual result is not as bad as we anticipated.
Another example of this may occur if you experience nervousness over your financial situation. If you're stressed about money, look for a way to change your situation. This could mean creating a budget, cutting unnecessary expenses, or picking up a part-time job.
Declutter your house
An organized space can make us feel calmer and more put together. Taking the time to clean things up and get rid of things that you don't need can be a good way to avoid the stress that can accompany clutter or disorganization. A popular system for decluttering is the KonMari method, developed by Marie Kondo. Using this technique, you keep only the items in your life that spark joy. Increased organization of your space can lend itself to a more ordered, calm mind.
Use essential oils
Many people who struggle with anxiety have found that the use of essential oils can help them clear their head, feel calmer, and get better quality sleep. There are many different types of oils you can try. Research proves that citrus oil can effectively improve your mood and alleviate stress. The scent molecules in citrus oils are small enough that they're able to penetrate the brain blood barrier, allowing them to reach the central nervous system. Other essential oils have been proven to reduce challenges that may lead to anxiety symptoms; using lavender or jasmine can help improve sleep.
Keep a journal
Journaling can be an effective way to process your feelings surrounding anxiety and find solutions for managing symptoms that work. It may help to take all the things that you’re thinking about and get them down on paper. This can help you look at your worries objectively, which may be difficult when they exist only in your mind. You can also use your journal to better understand your symptoms and track your progress when it comes to managing anxiety. You may notice that you experience anxiety differently at various times, or that certain coping strategies are working better than others.
Journaling before bed can also be a good way to clear your head of your anxious thoughts before trying to fall asleep. You can create a to-do list for the next day so that you’re not reviewing tasks you need to complete before bed. You can also keep a gratitude journal to help remind yourself of all the things that you have in your life to be thankful for. This is a good way to change your focus from things that are making you anxious to things that make you happy.
Hang out with friends
If you're struggling with anxiety, it can sometimes be hard to reach out to friends and family members. But social interaction can be especially important for those living with anxiety. Being around other people can help to take your focus off the things that you're worried about and boost your mood.
Additionally, your support network can be a source of encouragement and care. Loved ones may have insights into the sources of your anxiety, and they might know about coping strategies that will work. If you’d like to add to your support system, consider joining an anxiety support group—where you can connect with people experiencing similar challenges—or connecting with a mental health professional.
Exercise
There is a well-established connection between improved anxiety symptoms and physical activity. Exercise can produce mood-boosting endorphins, take your mind off stressful situations, and alleviate physical health concerns that may contribute to your anxiety. Regular exercise can also help you sleep better at night.
This doesn't mean that you need to start an intense exercise regimen. Find what works the best for you. This could mean weightlifting and practicing yoga, or it could mean hiking and swimming. Even going for a short walk can improve your mood.
Exercising first thing in the morning can be a good way to give yourself a mood boost at the start of the day. But you can find times that work the best (though many experts recommend avoiding strenuous physical activity just before bed, as the resultant increased heart rate and extra energy can make it difficult to fall asleep).
Support options for anxiety with online therapy
An increasingly large body of research points to the efficacy of online therapy when addressing symptoms of anxiety. In a broad-based meta-analysis that included 37 trials, researchers concluded that online therapy is as effective as in-person treatment for anxiety disorders. Further, the analysis mentions the ability of online therapy to circumvent the “numerous barriers to treatment” that exist in mental health care, which include high costs, perceived stigma, and time constraints.
If you’d like to develop effective coping strategies for anxiety, getting matched with a licensed therapist online can help. With online therapy through BetterHelp, you can work with a mental health professional remotely, which can be helpful if you’re not comfortable discussing topics like anxiety in person. BetterHelp works with a team of mental health professionals who have diverse specialties, so you’ll have a good chance of matching with someone who can help you find the right techniques for managing your specific anxiety symptoms.
Takeaway
As discussed in the article, here are eight tips for reducing anxiety:
- Reframe negative thoughts and perspectives, as these can exacerbate stress. Over time, your neural pathways can restructure themselves such that thought reframing becomes easier and easier over time, making this a potential method for improving worry long-term.
- Practice deep breathing. This essentially hacks into the parasympathetic nervous system and can help calm the nerves in the present moment.
- Note and address the source(s) of your worry.
- Declutter your home, office, etc. if needed.
- Research has found that some essential oils can provide a calming or mood boosting effect. These include citrus oils, lavender, sandalwood, chamomile, and others.
- Try journaling to get your thoughts and feelings out on paper.
- Spend time with friends and loved ones! Mental health conditions like depression can make us want to sequester ourselves away from the world, but as a social species, even the most introverted of people can benefit from social and emotional connections.
- Exercise! Whether it’s a walk, swimming, yoga, or going to the gym, physical activity can boost feel-good hormones while diminishing cortisol levels and improving self-esteem. If you choose to be active outdoors, the fresh air and scenery can be helpful to bring one into the present moment and out of one’s head, too.
How can I get rid of nervousness or worry naturally?
A variety of natural methods can help mitigate nervousness both in daily life and potentially long-term. These can include getting at least some daily exercise, getting enough sleep each night, eating a balanced diet, cognitive reframing techniques (for example: “How has this situation been beneficial to me?” rather than, “How has this situation hurt me?”), deep breathing exercises, spending time with loved ones, engaging in self-care, guided imagery, and various forms of therapy can all be helpful, natural ways to help alleviate worry.
How can I get rid of nervousness fast?
Breathing techniques can help to relatively quickly calm nervousness by utilizing the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing heart rate and breathing, and helping to bring one back into the present moment. A popular breathing technique, originally utilized by Navy SEALs, is called box breathing. To do this, breathe in deeply to the count of four, hold to the count of four, breathe out to the count of four, and hold at the bottom to the count of four. Repeat this as many times as needed.
Another technique is known as belly breathing. For belly breathing, focus on engaging your diaphragm more than your lungs when breathing. Feel it swell up with each breath in through your nose, and feel it shrink and relax with each breath out through your mouth. To further bring yourself out of an anxious state, try to focus on physical sensations that you feel while doing these exercises, such as the way the air feels in your lungs, the coolness of it coming in through your nose, and so on. Breathing methods like these can be particularly useful for panic attacks, or to reduce stress in general.
How long does it take to get over worry?
This depends on the person, genetics, circumstances, and whether a recognized anxiety disorder is present. For some, a bout of worry may last a few minutes, a few hours, or potentially days or weeks. Others may have a consistent stream of worry throughout much of life due to their personality or the presence of an anxiety disorder or other mental health condition such as PTSD.
How one copes with anxiety makes a difference, as well. Someone who utilizes positive coping strategies like journaling, exercising, positive self-talk, or therapy may be able to work through an attack or episode more efficiently than someone who utilizes things like alcohol, drugs, or self-isolation to cope.
How can I calm my mind from stress at night?
If you struggle to fall asleep at night due to stress and an overactive mind, there are several things that you can try. First, try to stop using devices like your phone, computer, or TV one to two hours before bedtime, as blue light can interfere with one’s circadian rhythm and reduce melatonin release. Too much blue light can also result in issues like headaches and eye strain, which can make relaxing more difficult.
Reading for even a few minutes before bed can be a great way to distract the mind from the day’s events, bring you into another world, and relax you. A 2023 survey found that bedtime readers are more likely report “excellent” sleep quality compared to non-bedtime readers, improved mental wellbeing, and gain an average of 28 minutes of sleep each week. However, try to choose literature that is relaxing to you (avoid page-turners right before bed!).
Sleep podcasts can be helpful for some. A variety of sleep podcasts are available, ranging from guided sleep imagery and meditation to simply listening to someone telling a story as you fall asleep.
According to the Mayo Clinic, chronic stress can be treated naturally with the following methods:
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Get regular exercise.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Do relaxation exercises such as yoga, deep breathing, massage or meditation when you feel anxious or scared.
- Keep a journal. Write about your thoughts, feelings, experiences, or what you're grateful for in your life.
- Take time to practice hobbies, such as reading or listening to music. Or watch your favorite show or movie.
- Foster healthy friendships and talk with friends and family.
- Have a sense of humor. Find ways to include humor and laughter in your life, such as watching funny movies or looking at joke websites.
- Volunteer in your community.
- Organize and focus on what you need to get done at home and work and remove tasks that aren't needed.
- Seek professional counseling. A counselor can help you learn specific coping skills to manage stress. Counseling can help you feel better right away, or it could seem to make you feel worse as you work through things before feeling better as you learn to take control of and manage the stress.
- Anti-anxiety medication may be helpful for chronic stress and worry, with some homeopathic options like CBD, lavender, magnesium, and B-vitamins showing promise. Always be sure to contact your doctor before starting any medication or supplement, however, as these are not suitable for everyone.
- The latter two may be particularly helpful for those who have a family member or members with anxiety or chronic stress, as there is a genetic component to how these are experienced.
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