Anxiety can be debilitating, and many people still associate it with fear and weakness. You probably feel embarrassed to admit that you have it; I know I did. Growing up, I was an aspiring actress and often found myself on stage in school plays, singing in the school choir, and competing on oratory teams. But in my early twenties, something changed. I was giving a presentation one evening in graduate school, when all of the sudden I was out of breath. My mouth went dry, I felt like I couldn’t talk, and could feel myself getting hot. I was able to work through it, but it was a very scary thing. I’ve dealt with performance anxiety (aka stage fright) ever since. It took me years to learn how to understand and manage these symptoms. Now, I specialize in working with others to help manage their symptoms. Sometimes, people don’t even realize they are dealing with anxiety. Take this Anxiety Screening to see how you score.
Below I’m going to discuss my 10 tips on reducing anxiety.
- Physical Exercise
Exercise is historically known to help relieve symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. Exercising “gets the juices flowing”, meaning it circulates endorphins in your brain. Endorphins are chemicals that your brain naturally releases when it experiences pleasure. After exercising, your body feels reduced pain and increased pleasure. Exercise can also reduce feelings of restlessness, which is often associated with anxiety. During the pandemic, it might be hard to find ways to exercise. Do some jumping jacks, sprints and pushups to get your cardio in. You could also do body sculpting using you tube videos or create your own routine. Get creative.
- Breathing Exercises
When stress and worry set in, especially if we are panicked, our blood pressure rises, our brain releases the stress hormone, cortisol, and our heart rate speeds up. Slow, paced, deep breathing, reduces the cortisol present in your brain and causes relaxation. This worksheet from Therapist Aid provides some guidance on how to do relaxation breathing. Feel free to look around the site, they have some great resources.
- Deal with It
Despite my own anxiety about public speaking, I still do it when I need to. Research shows that avoiding your anxiety trigger will only make it worse. Think of it like a cavity, avoiding it only hurts more and then makes it harder for your dentist to treat. Instead of flooding yourself with your anxiety triggers, expose yourself to them slowly and in short spurts. Sometimes anxiety is indicative or a more serious problem and is best treated by a professional.
- Positive Self Talk
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a preferred evidenced based treatment approach for anxiety and depression. People often experience symptoms of both simultaneously. Two commonly used CBT techniques are reducing negative self-talk and increased positive affirmations. Negative self-talk is basically being a bully, but to yourself. You might use phrases like “I can’t do anything right.” Or “I’m so stupid.”. While you might not realize it, your brain starts to believe these things you tell yourself. So the less you can do this, the better. Positive affirmations are statements that are encouraging and of course, positive. Some examples might be “I will make friends at my new job.” and “I am worth loving.”.
- Self-Soothing
Believe it or not, we learn how to self soothe as early as infants. When babies cry, their parents will hold them, rock them, change them and feed them until they feel better. As babies get older, they soothe by sucking their thumb or cuddling with a favorite blanket. Adults need self soothing skills too. Things like lavender scented candles or lotions, meditation, taking hot showers or baths, and listening to calming or happy music, can all be soothing techniques for anxiety.
- Socialization
While sometimes anxiety is linked to social situations, being around others helps reduce loneliness, boredom and can increase self-esteem. Sometimes talking to friends or family about worry or stress can provide some relief. Socializing in small increments is a good way to slowly desensitize yourself to social fears. Desensitizing helps reduce the phobias and anxiety by allowing gradual exposure to the trigger and “getting used to it” over time. This may be a little more challenging during the shut-down. Use video conferencing to keep in tough with friends and family.
- Better Life Balance
Are you someone who tends to overcommit yourself? When you evaluate all of your commitments, are you able to complete everything to the best of your ability? Often, people who have too many things to manage, aren’t able to meet all of the expectations. When we have too many to-do list items, we begin to have trouble concentrating, may worry excessively and have difficulty relaxing and resting. Evaluate all of the things you are responsible for and see if you can eliminate 1 or 2. Maybe put them off until you’ve resolved some of your current commitments.
- Emotional Support Animals
Animals can be great supports for people experiencing symptoms of anxiety. Domestic pets like dogs and cats are in tune to our feelings and moods. If you are restless, try spending a few minutes with your pet and play with them or pet them. Allow yourself to be distracted from everyday worries and take a time out with them. Emotional Support Animals are great for people who have a history of trauma, unresolved grief and loss, anxiety and depression.
- Counseling
I am very much a proponent of “doing it yourself”, even when it comes to your mental health. There is a point however, when we must accept that what we are doing isn’t working for us. Counseling is a process by which you will get out of it what you put in. Like everything, it doesn’t work for everyone. But, if you are able to connect with a therapist and push yourself just outside your comfort zone, the rewards are priceless. Take a look at this article I wrote on 5 Tips for Choosing the Right Mental Health Therapist.
- Medication
Counseling has proven to be an effective treatment for anxiety on its own, but sometimes the benefits can be enhanced with medication. There are many types of medication available, most with minimal side effects. Psychiatrists, Primary Care Providers and Nurse Practitioners can prescribe medications. They will work with you to find the right medication and dosage to meet your needs. Some patients find that medication is not necessary. If you are interested in medication, talk to your doctor or mental health provider.
In review, we discussed 10 ways to manage anxiety:
- Physical Exercise
- Breathing Exercises
- Facing Fears
- Positive Self Talk
- Self-Soothing
- Socialization
- Better Life Balance
- Emotional Support Animals
- Counseling
- Medication
Remember, anxiety is manageable, and our thoughts are sometime catastrophic and far worse than reality. If you’ve tried the self-management techniques above and still feel like anxiety is interfering with your daily life, it’s time to see a therapist. If you liked this article and you want to work with me, contact me. I want to help you overcome anxiety and live the life you want!