6 Ways to Deal with Anxiety
Anxiety is an incredibly common mental health condition. However, that doesn’t mean it should be taken lightly. Living with anxiety can feel debilitating and paralyzing, severely reducing your overall quality of life. Thankfully, in many cases, anxiety is extremely manageable. While it doesn’t often go away on its own, there are things you can do to deal with anxiety every day and to make your symptoms easier to handle.
Let’s take a look at six ways to deal with anxiety, so you can start to take control of your thoughts—and take back your life.
1. Don’t Ignore It
One of the worst things you can do when dealing with anxiety is trying to pretend it doesn’t exist. Acknowledge your feelings, even if they make you uncomfortable or scared. Once you do that, you’ll be able to better identify what’s actually causing your anxiety. Getting to the root cause is the first step toward overcoming your anxious thoughts, so don’t ignore what you’re feeling.
2. Be More Mindful
Mindfulness is the practice of staying in the present. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Focus on how you feel, your surroundings, and what you can utilize your senses for. Thoughts will continue to come, but don’t hang onto them. Instead, let them pass by like clouds so you can focus on where you are and what you’re doing now.
3. Fight Back Against Self-Talk
Anxiety is often fueled by negative self-talk. You’ll develop a personal belief system that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. You might think negatively about yourself. Maybe your anxiety has started to impact your self-esteem. Choose to actively fight back against that negative self-talk. Try to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Adopt encouraging mantras. Practice self-care to feel better about yourself.
4. Get Enough Sleep
Some people with anxiety have a hard time getting the sleep they need. Unfortunately, that can create even bigger problems. The less sleep you get, the more anxious you can become. Try to prioritize sleep by establishing healthy sleep habits. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. Avoid using digital devices before bed. Make sure your bedroom is an ideal sleeping environment. When you’re able to get a good night’s rest, you can wake up feeling calmer.
5. Try Relaxation Techniques
Mindfulness is a great relaxation technique, but it might not be enough to completely calm your anxiety if you’re experiencing an attack. It’s a good idea to have several techniques in your arsenal so you can calm down when you’re feeling fearful or overwhelmed. Try meditation, deep breathing, or even yoga to take your thoughts captive and bring them back to reality.
6. Reach Out for Help
Again, anxiety doesn’t usually go away on its own. You also don’t have to deal with it on your own. Having a support system in place is incredibly important when you’re dealing with anxiety. Lean on your friends and family when you’re struggling. They are there to listen and will always help you when you need it most. Sometimes, simply talking about the way you’re feeling can make a big difference.
However, if you’re really struggling, consider reaching out to a mental health professional. A therapist can help you get to the root cause of your anxious thoughts and work with you to develop effective ways of coping and overcoming. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if you’re interested in setting up an appointment for anxiety therapy. Anxiety doesn’t have to control your life forever, and you can take charge to fight back against it today!