Whether it is a daily battle or a situational experience, everyone experiences anxiety at some point in their life. Anxiety can be incredibly uncomfortable and downright debilitating sometimes. Finding strategies and tools to help manage anxiety can help you feel prepared the next time you feel the anxious thoughts start.
Through research and experience, experts have found a variety of tools and strategies to use to help manage anxiety. Working with a therapist is one of the best things you can do to help maintain your mental health. Therapists can provide different ideas to help you personally and figure out what works best for you.
Movement and breathing techniques are also often used to decrease anxiety and are a common coping mechanism for people battling anxiety. Anxious people can increase anxiety by worrying about the next anxiety attack, so it is extremely beneficial to have plans and tools in place to help combat the worry.
Tip #1 To Manage Anxiety: Deep Breaths and Movement
Have you ever felt your heart racing while simultaneously feeling like your chest is tightening and you can’t catch your breath? While anxiety is a mental battle it unfortunately causes physical reactions and discomfort with your central nervous system.
Movement and slow and deep breathing are tools to help to combat the body’s physical response to anxiety. Whether you run on a treadmill or simply take a walk outside, moving your body helps release cortisol which is the stress hormone. If you are looking for calmer movement, there are specific yoga poses that work to help lessen anxiety. Meditation is also a great option that combines deep breathing with focusing on releasing anxious thoughts from the mind.
Tip #2 To Manage Anxiety: Somatic Therapy
One of the biggest challenges with anxiety is that the brain can become stuck on certain anxious thoughts. While the brain has billions of neural pathways, when anxiety takes over it can feel as if all you are able to think about is the worry.
Understanding how the brain works and how to rewire it can help you manage anxiety. Somatic therapy aims to help rewire the brain to heal from past trauma and anxieties to create new neural pathways that help you stay calm and centered.
Working with a somatic therapist means you will focus on healing past traumas as well as present stressors by focusing on the mind and body connection. Somatic therapy has been proven to be an extremely beneficial tool in helping to manage anxiety.
Tip #3 To Manage Anxiety: Schedule A Worry Time
If you let them, anxious thoughts can take over and feel all consuming. In order to help prevent this, giving yourself a dedicated time to focus on things that you are worried about can help you keep your anxiety under control.
Schedule a time during the day where you can be still and silent for ten to fifteen minutes. During this time, allow your brain to focus on what you are most worried about. As you are doing this, writing your thoughts down can help release some of the tension and stress you are feeling in relation to your anxiety.
When you allow yourself to have a specific time of the day intended for worrying, you can help your brain relax and focus through the rest of the day knowing it will have time to worry during the scheduled time.
Tip #4 To Manage Anxiety: Focus On Getting More Vitamin D
It is no secret that sunlight is a natural mood booster. When you are outside, your body is naturally increasing its serotonin which helps increase your sense of overall well being and calm.
Spending time outside allows your body to soak in Vitamin D from the sun which helps regulate your energy and numerous different hormones in your body. Sleep is often improved from spending time outside which also helps keep your anxiety in check.
Tip #5 To Manage Anxiety: Have A Creative Outlet
Did you know that coloring can help reduce stress levels? Having a creative outlet is a great option to use to help manage anxiety on a daily basis. If you enjoy music, learning how to play an instrument provides numerous benefits for your mental health.
If music isn’t your thing, taking a drawing or painting class gives your mind something new to focus on and gives you something to look forward to throughout the week. Distraction is a key component in managing anxiety and research has shown that having a creative outlet as a distraction is one of the healthiest things you can do for your brain to help get it out of worry mode and focus back to the present.
Tip #6 To Manage Anxiety: Maintain A Balanced Life
A major trigger for anxiety is feeling like you don’t have the time or space to manage all of the different responsibilities in life. Maintaining a balanced life is key to managing stress and anxiety. If you are overworked, find ways to lessen your workload.
Spending time with your family and friends is important for your mental health and will help naturally lessen your anxiety. Making sure you have time in your daily life for rest and physical activity will also help keep things balanced and healthy.
Dealing with anxiety is a frustrating part of life, but it doesn’t have to ruin your quality of life. Having different options in your mental toolbox to help you manage anxiety can help you when you begin to feel overwhelmed or out of control.
One of the best things you can do is attend therapy sessions regularly and make sure to take care of yourself physically too. Prioritizing your mental health means making sure your life is balanced between work and personal time. Using all of these different strategies will bring order and balance to your life to help you manage anxiety when it arises.
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