5 Tips on how to manage your anxiety.
Anxiety is a really difficult thing to try and manage, everyone is different and lots of things can work or not work for people. These are the 10 things my clients have tried that have helped them when they are struggling with their anxiety.
5- An oldie but a goodie is ‘Grounding’, some of the best things to try when you can feel the anxiety building are things that can help pull you back to what's happening NOW. Things like eating your favourite sweet or chocolate or having a coffee and savouring the flavour. You can try and tune into the things you can hear around you, then focus on what you can see in detail. Dialling into anything you can smell, perfume, candles. Honing into your senses not only helps to focus on the now, it also can act as a bit of a distraction from the anxiety.
4- The one that gets the most eye rolls and also one that can be helpful is breathing techniques, research suggests that the 4-7-8 breathing technique is the most ‘calming’, the method is described as a 'natural tranquillisers for the nervous system' using this technique stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system that's responsible for relaxation and by doing so it suppresses the sympathetic nervous system, in charge of the fight, flight, freeze, fawn reaction.
3- Writing down your worries at a particular time and keeping them in a specific place like a journal, the thought with this is that having somewhere dedicated for the concerns, worries or stresses might help to compartmentalise or separate your worries from the rest of your day. Alternatively keeping a diary can be useful from a perspective of tracking your anxiety, its triggers and actively recognising what your anxiety looks like for you.
2-Easier said than done but Eat, sleep, walk, repeat. Eating a healthy diet will help with many different aspects but I like to compare it to a professional sprinter. A sprinter eats healthy and sleeps well, they also go out and enjoy time outdoors. If your mind is racing 24/7 it takes a lot of energy and can be really exhausting. A sprinter can't live on unhealthy food and no sleep. A decent night's sleep can have a huge impact on the following day, so keeping as healthy a lifestyle as you can (this will look different to everyone) will make a difference.
1- Generally the most effective way of managing your anxiety is by reaching out and speaking to a friend, peer support group, family member or professional about your anxieties. You are not alone! The word ‘Anxiety’ was searched 60,514 times on the Counselling directory in February, you might be surprised how many people may understand or want to help.
Again I’m not an Anxiety Guru, some things work for some and not for others and you know yourself best but these are 5 things that a number of clients have tried and benefited from. I hope these help.
