Although everyone has feelings of anxiety from time to time, some of us experience very intense forms of anxiety. Intense anxiety can be one of the most challenging human conditions. It can turn the most beautiful days, exciting opportunities, and memorable moments into horrific experiences. Events that might otherwise be enjoyed are painfully endured or fearfully avoided. While working as a counselor during the past 20 years, I have learned several things that can help people deal with intense anxiety and its troubling effects. Here are some of my top recommendations to help you Start Reducing Your Anxiety NOW:
Talk to Someone You Trust
Tell somebody about your anxiety. Too often, people with anxiety keep their challenges to themselves. Either they feel like others will not understand, or they think that they should be able to deal with the anxiety on their own. Breaking the barrier of silence is a great way to start a new approach to reducing your anxiety.
Practice Self-Calming and Mindfulness Meditation
Anxiety and peace are competing responses; you cannot experience one while experiencing the other. Because none of us can fully control our environment or life stressors, we must increase our ability to handle them calmly and decrease their ability to trigger intense anxiety inside us. One great way to do this is to develop self-calming skills and to become more mindful of our internal experience. In addition to learning these skills from a counselor, there are numerous online resources for developing self-calming and meditation skills. One excellent resource can be found at app.stopbreathethink.org.
Engage in Daily Physical Activity
One of the best methods for limiting the adverse effects of stress and anxiety is physical activity. It is more than just the cardio benefits of exercise. Physical activity is a great way to simultaneously take charge of our bodies, minds, and emotions. It can help us get our minds off life stressors and be more mindful of our present experiences. Physical activity also helps to get our bodies and mental processes on a new rhythm, not built around our anxiety. If your medical health provider approves, a simple physical activity routine can be a tremendous stress-reducing choice.
Establish a Routine of Healthy Sleep
Most of us need to get more sleep and get it more consistently. Most of us can tell when a child is running low on sleep; they get cranky, whiny, tearful, and irrational. Why would we expect it to be any different for us as adults? We should not deprive ourselves of the critical renewal found in sleep. Our bodies and minds need the opportunity to decompress and rejuvenate. If you want to improve your sleep patterns, you might begin by tracking how much sleep you get each night and when you typically get it. You might be surprised to find a connection between your sleep patterns and your anxiety patterns. Your anxiety may either be heightened or triggered by sleep deprivation or an otherwise unhealthy sleep schedule.
Eat a Balanced Diet on a Regular Schedule
As with sleep, it is easy to see the effects of hunger and poor diet on the temperament and moods of children. As parents, we can avoid periodic meltdowns in our kids by ensuring they are well-fed at regular intervals (typically three times a day). Consistent nutrition helps the body regulate blood sugar and energy. As adults, it is just as important for us to eat healthily and regularly. Feelings of anxiety can be reduced and/or avoided by following good eating habits. Many people will experience a decrease in their appetite when they start feeling anxious. They then avoid eating, which can further enhance their feelings of instability and anxiety (a vicious cycle). Be sure you are eating nutritious food on a regular schedule.
Be Around People Who Treat You Well
Healthy, loving relationships can provide us with excellent emotional security. Although, in many ways, we are all "on our own" in this life, some of us have fewer supportive relationships we can rely on during difficult times. If we spend most of our time around people who are critical, abusive, neglectful, or otherwise unsafe, it can contribute to increased anxiety. If you do not have family members or friends you can spend positive time with, I recommend joining some kind of positive social group where participants support each other in their common interests and challenges. If that is not an option, begin by forming a trusting therapeutic relationship with your medical and mental health providers.
Develop Thought Management Skills
Thoughts allowed to run wild will produce wild results. It is essential to learn to recognize troubling thought patterns that contribute to your anxiety. When not observed mindfully, our disturbing thoughts can almost go unnoticed, unlike the feelings they produce in us. Certain types of thoughts can contribute significantly to a state of fear and anxiety. Identifying and managing our thoughts can go a long way in reducing our anxiety and our general internal turmoil. A good therapist trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help you identify and address thoughts that might be contributing to your anxiety.
Increase Emotional Acceptance and Tolerance
Have you ever thought of just accepting your anxiety or learning to tolerate its effects rather than simply resisting or trying to avoid it? Most of us don't naturally take this approach. However, it suggests a different approach if you think of anxious thoughts and feelings about a troubling thing in your environment (bees, snakes, the dark, etc.). We all know that to be more comfortable and at peace with bees, we must be around them more, not less. So what if we chose to face our anxiety in an attempt to get used to it or even befriend it. In the end, if you are no longer afraid of something, it can't scare you; if you are comfortable with something, it can no longer trouble you. Therapists trained in behavioral exposure techniques, such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), can help you make significant progress in increasing your tolerance and comfort with the things or situations you currently fear.
Get Professional Counseling
Although there is much we can do to take care of our mental and emotional health, without professional help, most of us could benefit from talking to an expert. Especially when conditions like anxiety are negatively impacting our job performance, our relationships, or overall life satisfaction, it is a good idea to seek out a mental health professional. Look for a counselor with a solid educational background, legitimate professional credentials, and expertise in working with anxiety. Counselors who are well versed in the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, exposure therapy, and family systems therapy will almost always be able to help you deal with your anxiety.
Talk to Your Doctor About Medicine
In addition to counseling based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness, many patients experience a great deal of improvement from medication. This is especially true for individuals who have a genetic predisposition for anxiety (often indicated by a family history of anxiety). Still, it can also be true for those whose anxiety is more temporary or situational. Although some people might view taking medication as a "crutch" or "cop-out," I view it as a great opportunity and possibility for improving your daily quality of life. If you think you might be a candidate for anxiety medication, make an appointment to see your doctor today.
Reconnect with Yourself
Anxiety has a way of getting our focus on things that are stressful or going wrong in our lives or on things that might go wrong in the future. Having a positive and balanced view of the future and our purpose in life can help put things into perspective. Belief in the overall worth of ourselves and a healthy "meaning of life" perspective is one way to find peace and joy in daily living, even when life involves multiple stressors. Many people find added strength in connecting with nature, religion, and community. Consider how reconnection with your true self might help you in your struggles.
Sometimes, when anxiety hits hard, it is all we can do to "ride it out." However, there are several things we can do to help prevent the general build-up of anxiety and to minimize the power anxiety has on our lives. This can be done by getting adequate sleep, eating healthily, talking to others who support us, and seeking professional help. If you are struggling with anxiety, please know that there is help and that there are ways to reduce anxiety's impact on your life. Review the recommendations above and start working to reduce your anxiety today. Especially consider talking to friends, family, and professionals who might be able to help you. We can all use help occasionally, and what a gift it can be. Your future can be bright, even with anxiety. Start making progress on it today!
