Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. Stress is normal and healthy, whether before an exam or during a job interview. However, for some people, anxiety is more than just a fleeting feeling. It’s a constant state of worry that can be debilitating. If you struggle with excessive worry and fear on a regular basis, you may want to try these strategies for managing your anxiety.
Get Moving
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to manage anxiety. It can help you sleep better, feel less stressed, cope with depression and manage your weight. If you’ve ever been on a treadmill or lifting weights next to someone who’s in a good mood and feeling great about life, you know that exercise can also boost your mood at the moment.
Practice Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is a great way to relax and calm down. When you’re feeling anxious, take a moment to breathe deeply. You can do this lying down on the floor or sitting comfortably in a chair. Breathe in for five seconds through your nose, then hold that breath for two seconds. Then, breathe out slowly through pursed lips or your nose for seven seconds before returning to standard breathing patterns. Repeat this cycle until you feel relaxed.
Use Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements you make to yourself. They can help with anxiety by encouraging you to have more positive thoughts and feelings. This, in turn, can help reduce your anxiety.
For example, if you have social anxiety, an affirmation could be “I love talking to people.” Affirmations can be used in many situations, and they work best when they’re specific and realistic. Some examples of affirmations include the following:
- “It’s okay to take a break if I’m feeling overwhelmed by my tasks at work today.”
- “No matter what happens today, I will smile and feel proud of myself for all that I’ve accomplished.”
Acknowledge Your Worries and Let Them Go
Acknowledging your worries is the first step to letting them go. However, it can be difficult to let go of your worries. You’ve probably been thinking about them for a long time. It’s important that you learn how to do this. Once you acknowledge your worry, it’ll become easier for you to let it go altogether.
We all have things we worry about. Maybe it’s an upcoming job interview or meeting with a client that has left you anxious and nervous. That’s normal. The key here is learning what works best for you. That way, when those moments arise again in the future, they don’t affect you in the same way. This means not only acknowledging what causes your symptoms of anxiety but also being mindful of how you respond differently each time something stressful happens in your life.
Practice Gratitude
If you’re like many people with anxiety, your mind is trained to look at what’s wrong or missing in your life. It rarely focuses on the good things that exist. You may have a hard time thinking of anything good to be appreciative of. Luckily, you can take small steps to improve this.
Start with something basic like making sure you’re wearing clean clothes or eating dinner with family members. This can help remind you that your needs and wants are met each day without having to think about them too much, which causes stress.
Next time something goes right, try writing down exactly what made it so special. For instance: “I loved hanging out with my friend today because she cooked dinner.” If possible, try adding photos into the mix by taking pictures while experiencing these moments.
Get Enough Sleep
When it comes to managing anxiety and stress, one of the most important things you can do is get enough sleep. Sleep is vital for your physical health as well as your mental health and psychological well-being. Not getting enough sleep increases your risk of diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. It can also lead to depression or anxiety disorders.
Sleep helps regulate emotions because lack of sleep causes an imbalance in neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating moods and emotions.
Sufficient amounts of restful sleep have been shown to improve memory, alertness, and concentration levels. When you’re feeling tired after a long day at work or school, or even if you’re just having trouble falling asleep, chances are it’s because you aren’t getting enough restorative rest at night.
When you don’t get enough quality shut-eye each night, your brain becomes fatigued. This means that even though you may be physically awake during the day, your mind is still processing information from previous activities, making concentrating on new tasks difficult.
This leads people who don’t get enough sleep into a vicious cycle. They struggle more during their daytime hours, so they try harder. However, they end up feeling worse because they’re overworking themselves under pressure from others who expect them too much while simultaneously not giving them any support whatsoever.
While you can’t cure your anxiety, you can manage it in a way that enables you to live a more normal life. Anxiety is common and treatable. However, if left untreated, anxiety can take over your life and keep you from being happy. If you’re struggling with anxiety, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. However, the most important thing is taking action. Start by getting moving and practicing deep breathing, then move on as you see fit. If you or someone you know is struggling with their anxiety, reach out to Acera Health today. We can assist you in learning to manage your anxiety. Call us at (949) 647-4090.
Melody is a highly skilled proactive clinical administrator, with more than 17 years of experience serving the community in the behavioral health field.
Her clinical management career started in 2011 as a compliance manager and program director. In 2018, she became an executive as chief clinical officer (CCO). She is a seasoned licensed marriage & family therapist.
