5 tips to manage anxiety
Pretty much everyone deals with anxiety sometimes, but if anxiety has become a constant pattern for you, it can take over and make you feel stuck or unable to move forward in life.
There are so many different factors that create, contribute to and exacerbate anxiety. Your daily routine (especially morning), your job, the people you spend time with, substance use (caffeine is a big contributor!), how you spend your downtime…etc. all effect your overall state of well-being or anxiety.
So what works well for someone else may not work for you and vice versa. I’ve compiled a list here based on things that have worked well for many of my clients. The trick is actually practicing them!
1.) Slow breathing.
Easier said than done when you’re actually in the thick of it, but just as the mind influences the body (creating shallow breathing, sweaty palms, dizziness…etc.) controlling the body can influence and calm the mind as well.
The more you practice deep, conscious breathing, the easier it becomes to notice when you’re NOT breathing and nip your anxiety in the bud.
I’m including one of my very favorite breathing meditations, just an abstract visual to help you find your rhythm and ‘do nothing for 10 minutes.’
2.) Practice staying present.
Again, easier said than done, these habits don’t develop overnight! But if you think about it: anxiety is future-oriented, so if you can notice that and reconnect to the present moment instead, it becomes a little easier to disconnect from anxious thoughts and feelings. Going someplace new or getting into nature can really help tap into the present moment.
Worry is actually a type of meditation. It’s just future-oriented negative visualization.
3.) Positive visualization.
In reference to #2 and along those lines, positive visualization flips the script on anxiety. If you’re already focusing on and worrying about the future, why not allow yourself to think about the future in a positive way? Consider ‘best-case-scenerio’ rather than fear-driven thoughts. The key to visualization is tapping into positive feelings and emotions. What would it FEEL like if ‘x-y-and-z’ went exactly as you hope?
4.) Take a small, bold step.
Again, branching off of the previous tip, once you’ve had the opportunity to consider ‘best case scenario,’ practice taking a small, but bold step toward a positive goal!
Anxiety tells us that we are not good enough, that our fear is justified, or that staying stuck is better/safer/wiser. One key to overcoming anxiety is gradually convincing your subconscious mind that everything is going to be okay. The more you can have positive experiences outside of your comfort zone and actually be ‘okay,’ the more your neural pathways begin to shift toward feelings of acceptance and safety.
5.) Monitor your ‘intake.’
What I mean by this is: consider what you’re absorbing, eating, surrounding yourself with, taking in…etc. Without overthinking or obsessing over every little choice, it does all matter and contributes to the overall state of your mind, body and spirit. A few key hot-spots to consider:
Who do you spend the most time with and how do they effect you?
What types of food and drinks are you choosing each day for your body?
How much time and energy are you allotting each day for social media?
What types of music, media or videos are you listening to and watching?
How are you thinking about and speaking to yourself internally?
If you’ve experimented with some or all of these techniques and your anxiety is still proving difficult to manage, please reach out to seek support. Sometimes it’s really hard to uncover the root cause on your own, but it can be necessary in order to weed it out from the source. I’d love to help you explore some new ways to live more fully!
