Anxiety is an extremely common emotional disorder that millions of Americans deal with. There are many coping strategies and techniques that improve daily symptoms and alleviate the negative impact of anxiety on daily life, so those who struggle with anxiety can lead a more satisfying life. In this blog, we’re providing five tips to help manage anxiety symptoms as they arise.
1 – Practice Mindfulness
One of the main ways that anxiety impacts people is by taking them out of the present moment and causing them to fixate on worries or fears about what could happen. Mindfulness practices can help those who struggle with anxiety to focus on the present moment, which can alleviate symptoms of anxiety. The simplest form of mindfulness practice is deep breathing. Take a slow, deep breath in. Hold the breath. Then, exhale slowly. Focus only on breathing and do your utmost to ignore distractions or intrusive thinking. Another simple mindfulness strategy is to find something specific in your general area to focus on and describe in detail. This can disrupt negative thought cycles and alleviate feelings of anxiety.
2 – Take a Break
Many people who struggle with anxiety aren’t great at knowing when to walk away. They are worriers by nature, and they want to do their best to take care of things, which might mean pushing themselves too hard. It’s important to recognize when anxiety has become overwhelming and take a break. That might mean a literal break like a vacation. In other cases, it just means stepping away for a few minutes to take some breaths. When anxiety is chronic or severe, you may also want to consider making regular relaxation practices like yoga, mediation, or massages part of your regular routine to increase feelings of overall relaxation.
3 – Lead a Healthy Lifestyle
Anxiety symptoms may increase if you aren’t taking good care of yourself. That means eating a nutritious and well-balanced diet, staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest, exercising regularly, and limiting consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and other potentially unhealthy substances. When you’re healthy, you have more energy to process and manage emotions as they arise and you’re less likely to experience negative effects related to anxiety.
4 – Identify & Confront Anxiety Triggers
One of the best ways to start improving the symptoms of anxiety is to identify and work through what triggers these feelings. Are you experiencing anxiety just at work? At school? At home? All the time? What specific events seem to cause the greatest levels of anxiety? A good way to answer these questions is to keep track of your daily experience for a week or more. Look for patterns and notice when you’re feeling more anxious. Once you’re aware of the triggers that lead to anxiety symptoms, you can start confronting those triggers.
5 – Talk to a Professional
At Cedar Counseling & Wellness, our knowledgeable therapists have the training and experience necessary to help people understand and work through anxiety and the ways it impacts their lives. If you’ve been trying to manage anxiety on your own and it’s just not working, we hope you’ll consider reaching out, so we can offer our support and expertise. You can get in touch with us by calling (443) 924-6344, emailing info@cedarcounselingandwellness.com, or filling out our scheduling request form.
