How To Reduce Anxiety Throughout Your Day

If you experience anxiety, you're not alone.

Even if you aren’t living with an anxiety disorder, stress and anxious feelings can frequently arise throughout the day. And anxiety can affect you with varying severity depending on whether it’s morning, afternoon, or evening. Below, we’re discussing strategies for managing anxiety throughout the day.

What are anxiety disorders?

Most of us experience occasional anxiety, whether it’s related to an upcoming exam, a physical health challenge, or a conflict with a family member. When we feel anxious frequently or excessively, however, our feelings may signal the existence of a mental health disorder. Severe or persistent anxiety may be an indicator of an anxiety disorder, a class of mental health conditions characterized by fear, nervousness, and worry. 

There are several different anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. The specific anxiety symptoms associated with each of these disorders can vary. 

Treatment for anxiety disorders typically consists of therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Through therapy, mental health professionals can provide emotional support and useful guidance to those living with anxiety. During a therapy session, an individual may work to develop coping strategies, identify the sources of persistent anxiety, or address symptoms of a comorbid condition. 

Antidepressants (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are commonly prescribed for anxiety and are considered safe for long-term use. Certain types of anti-anxiety medication (e.g., benzodiazepines) can be addictive and are typically utilized in the short term. Always consult with a medical or mental health professional prior to starting or stopping any medication.  

The effects of severe or persistent anxiety 

Anxiety can affect an individual’s behavior, ability to function, and physical and mental health. In addition to signaling the potential existence of an anxiety disorder, feelings of anxiety may lead to depression and other serious mental health disorders. Anxiety disorders can also worsen over time if they’re not addressed, leading to further detrimental effects; so proper management is often crucial. 

While we may not be able to eliminate all anxiety from our lives, we can learn how to reduce it. Below are some actionable strategies that you can start using today to improve your anxiety levels in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Though we’ve broken down these techniques by time of day, you can implement them as needed. You may find that certain strategies work anytime.

Reducing anxiety symptoms in the morning

Morning anxiety can be a challenge for many people preparing for a busy day. Levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, are often highest in the morning, leading to increased blood pressure and heart rate. For people with anxiety, implementing strategies for stress management can be particularly useful in the AM hours. 

Start the evening before

You may find that reducing anxiety in the morning starts with preparations made the night before. One productive way of preparing for the next morning is ensuring you're getting plenty of sleep. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society, most adults should be getting at least seven hours of sleep each night. If you find that you're getting fewer than seven hours, your sleep patterns may be contributing to feelings of anxiety. Consider moving your bedtime forward by 10 minutes every couple of days so you can condition yourself to go to sleep earlier.

When making arrangements for your morning the night before, you can also lay out the next day’s outfit, prepare your breakfast and lunch, and write down your objectives for the day. Before you go to bed, you might also look at your calendar so that you know exactly where you need to be and at what times the following day. This can take one more thing off your plate and make life easier. 

Avoid the snooze button

Another strategy you might try is getting up the first time your alarm goes off and avoiding hitting snooze. According to experts, sleeping during snooze cycles isn’t likely to help you feel more rested. It may, instead, continue to disturb your circadian rhythm. When your alarm goes off, try sitting up in bed, taking a few deep breaths, and putting your feet on the floor to ease into your morning. 

Develop a morning routine

Another anxiety-reducing strategy you might employ is to choose a few things that you're going to do every morning to get your day off to a good start. There are many activities you can incorporate into a morning routine to ease anxiety, including: 

• Physical activity

• Journaling

• Meditating

• Eating a healthy breakfast

• Getting fresh air

• Drinking a glass of water

If you're struggling to stick with a morning routine, you might start with one activity and then add new ones periodically.

Reducing anxiety symptoms during the day

Stress—which is a key factor in the development of anxiety for some—can build during the day as your workday progresses and responsibilities accrue. Luckily, there are things that you can do throughout the day to address anxiety.

Check-in with yourself frequently

As the day continues, you might take some time to check in with yourself and see how you're feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically. Do you have an elevated heart rate, or is it steady? Are you experiencing muscle tension? Have you had an anxiety attack today? You might use a journal or an app to track your anxiety levels. Some mental health apps check in with you at random times, which can make it easier for you to remember to self-evaluate during a busy day.

Practice deep breathing

Breathing exercises can help you slow your breath, relax, and focus your mind, which can be beneficial for both your physical and mental health. You can also practice deep breathing almost anywhere, making it a convenient anxiety-reducing activity. Research suggests that breathing exercises can relieve anxiety, reduce the frequency of panic attacks, and promote emotional well-being. 

A common deep breathing exercise is called box breathing. To do this, focus on inhaling slowly for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and holding your breath again for four seconds, and then repeating the process. While you are doing this, you might try to relax your muscles, especially those in your shoulders and neck, as this is where many people tend to hold their anxiety and tension.

Avoid anxiety-inducing situations

When it comes to reducing anxiety, you may find it helpful to identify specific situations or activities that cause you stress. For example, if you experience heightened anxiety during a busy commute to work, you can look for ways to avoid it. You may be able to leave a bit earlier or take a different route to avoid traffic. This can be particularly important for those who may be prone to a panic attack. While not all anxiety-inducing situations are avoidable, there are often small steps you can take to limit their effects. 

Try not to procrastinate

There is a proven link between anxiety and procrastination. We sometimes put off things we either don't want to do or aren't sure how to do. However, procrastination can cause anxiety surrounding the task to build and worsen. To avoid this, try to set clear goals, eliminate distractions, and reward yourself frequently. 

Reducing anxiety symptoms at night

Many people begin feeling anxious in the evening when there are often fewer distractions from ruminative thoughts. Anxiety at night can make it harder to get a good night’s sleep, which may, in turn, make it more difficult to manage stress. There are several strategies for reducing the risk of increased nighttime anxiety. 

Cut back on caffeine

Caffeine can boost the body’s production of stress hormones, potentially leading to increased anxiety and making it harder to get enough sleep. If you want to decrease your anxiety at night, it can help to decrease caffeine consumption or avoid drinking caffeinated beverages (e.g., coffee, soda, and energy drinks) after the late afternoon. 

Journal

Studies show that journaling can improve an individual’s perception of stressful events. Journaling before going to sleep can help reduce the anxiety that you’ve experienced during the day and may still be feeling at night. Recording the events of the day and jotting down your feelings may help you process your emotions and find solutions for stress that you hadn’t yet considered. 

There are plenty of apps that you can use to journal, or you can simply use a notebook. Many people find that it's helpful to keep paper and a pen near their bed; that way, if they wake up in the middle of the night with anxious thoughts, they can write them down to clear their head.

Meditate

Meditation is a commonly utilized practice for managing the effects of anxiety. While meditation can be helpful throughout the day, it may be particularly useful in the evenings as research suggests that certain meditation techniques can improve sleep quality. Consider taking advantage of one of the many online or app-based guided meditations meant to help you get to sleep easier. Mindfulness meditation—which focuses on fostering awareness of the present moment—can promote calmness and help participants manage anxiety.

Managing an anxiety disorder with online therapy