10 Research-Backed Techniques For Anxiety Management
Anxiety is a common experience that can accompany stressful events, uncertainty, and life upheavals. When it becomes persistent and interferes with well-being, anxiety may indicate a mental health condition. Whether your anxiety is periodic or chronic, it can help to have some coping strategies in mind to help you relax and regain clarity.
Though anxiety can be challenging to manage, research has identified several effective strategies for alleviating symptoms and improving mental health. In this article, we explore eight evidence-based tips to help you reduce anxiety, improve your mental wellbeing, and enhance your overall quality of life.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety refers to feelings of fear, worry, and nervousness associated with stress or uncertainty. It’s caused by an activation of the body’s stress response, and can involve a range of symptoms including fear or worry, racing or intrusive thoughts, sweating, rapid breathing and heart rate, and more.
This is a common response to stressful circumstances, and most people experience it at some point or another. However, anxiety that is persistent or severe may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can significantly impair mental health and wellbeing; however, they can be effectively managed through self-help techniques, psychotherapy, and, in some cases, medication.
Methods to relieve anxiety and stress
Managing anxiety and stress is crucial for maintaining overall well-being, and various evidence-based methods have proven effective in achieving this. These approaches are backed by research and can provide reliable ways to reduce symptoms and improve mental health:
Relaxation tips
Due to how anxiety affects the body, effective anxiety relief typically begins with relaxation techniques. These practices help control the body’s stress response so you can feel calmer and more in control. Common methods include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery.
Box breathing can be a good starting point for those looking to manage stress, anxiety, or overwhelm:
- Find a comfortable position: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position where you can relax.
- Inhale: Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose for a count of 4.
- Hold: Hold your breath for a count of 4.
- Exhale: Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth for a count of 4.
- Hold: Hold your breath again for a count of 4.
- Repeat: Continue this cycle for several minutes or as long as needed.
- Engage in grounding practices
Grounding techniques can also be helpful. Grounding means connecting with the present moment, allowing you to shift your focus away from anxious thoughts and anchor yourself in the here-and-now. It offers a way to cultivate mindfulness without feeling like you must retreat from an anxiety-inducing situation.
Meditate
Meditation can be a powerful tool for those in search of anxiety relief. While it can take some time to learn, meditation has been found to have substantial benefits for those living with anxiety. During meditation, you exert control over your mental state by turning your attention inward and focusing non-judgmentally on the thoughts and sensations that arise.
To learn meditation, you might start with a guided mindfulness meditation through a streaming service of your choice. Aim to practice for a few minutes each day, working your way up to longer sessions as you become more comfortable. Over time, you might find it easier to tap into mindfulness in moments when anxiety begins to arise.
Address thoughts that arise from anxiety
Anxiety often stems from negative or irrational thoughts or beliefs. Through a CBT technique called cognitive reframing, you can challenge and alter distorted thinking patterns, reducing the intensity of anxiety and helping you cultivate resilience. Cognitive reframing involves identifying negative thoughts, evaluating their accuracy, and replacing them with more constructive ones.
For example, a person with test anxiety may hold the irrational belief that their worth is tied to academic success. Through cognitive reframing, they might challenge this belief by recognizing their abilities and achievements. By finding a more realistic perspective, they can reduce the power of these anxious thoughts and approach exams with confidence.
Exercise
There is a well-established connection between physical activity and improved anxiety symptoms. Exercise produces mood-boosting endorphins, takes your mind off stressful situations, and alleviates physical health concerns that can contribute to your anxiety. Regular exercise can also help you sleep better at night.
Problem-solve
It’s helpful to think of anxiety as your body’s way of telling you there’s a problem. Sometimes, anxiety may stem from an imagined problem, while in other cases, it’s alerting us to an issue that needs our attention. If your anxiety is rooted in a legitimate concern, it can help to look for ways to solve the problem and take action.
For example, if you're anxious about an upcoming due date, working on the project or assignment could help reduce your anxiety. Similarly, financial anxiety can be mitigated by creating a budget, cutting spending, or updating your resume to look for another job. Taking action can help you feel more in control and mitigate anxiety-inducing uncertainty.
Clean your space
A neat, clean, and organized space can help us feel calmer and more put together. Research has identified a link between clutter and heightened cortisol levels, suggesting that a messy environment may make us susceptible to increased stress and anxiety.
Keep a journal
Journaling can help you process anxious thoughts and find solutions that work. One study found that an expressive writing practice was associated with lower levels of stress and anxiety, with others showing similar positive effects on mental health. Externalizing your feelings can help you and forge a stronger relationship with yourself, helping you cultivate mindfulness.
Spend time in nature
For many, a morning or evening walk is a vital ritual for managing anxiety and staying active. Morning walks may be especially helpful for those whose anxiety causes sleep disturbances: Exposure to sunlight early in the day can help control your body’s circadian rhythm, helping you maintain a healthy sleep schedule and remain resilient to anxiety.
- Connect with someone
While anxiety can make it hard to prioritize relationships, social interaction can greatly benefit those living with anxiety. Being around other people can help to take your focus off your worries and boost your mood.
Your support network can also be a source of encouragement and care—loved ones may be able to help you gain some insight or perspective, as well as offer emotional or practical support. Anxiety support groups can be similarly helpful, as can a compassionate, understanding therapist with experience treating anxiety disorders.
An increasingly large body of research supports the effectiveness of online therapy for addressing symptoms of anxiety, with therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction showing particularly promising results.
Knowing how to manage anxiety in your day-to-day life can be vital to your ability to get things done and foster mental and physical well-being. Calming your body and mind with relaxation techniques, grounding exercises, and mindful practices can help you manage anxiety in the short- and long-term. For support and guidance on your mental health journey, connect with a licensed therapist on BetterHelp.
As discussed in the article, here are eight tips for reducing anxiety:
- Reframe negative thoughts and perspectives, as these can exacerbate stress. Over time, your neural pathways can restructure themselves such that thought reframing becomes easier and easier over time, making this a potential method for improving worry long-term.
- Practice deep breathing. This essentially hacks into the parasympathetic nervous system and can help calm the nerves in the present moment.
- Note and address the source(s) of your worry.
- Declutter your home, office, etc. if needed.
- Research has found that some essential oils can provide a calming or mood boosting effect. These include citrus oils, lavender, sandalwood, chamomile, and others.
- Try journaling to get your thoughts and feelings out on paper.
- Spend time with friends and loved ones! Mental health conditions like depression can make us want to sequester ourselves away from the world, but as a social species, even the most introverted of people can benefit from social and emotional connections.
- Exercise! Whether it’s a walk, swimming, yoga, or going to the gym, physical activity can boost feel-good hormones while diminishing cortisol levels and improving self-esteem. If you choose to be active outdoors, the fresh air and scenery can be helpful to bring one into the present moment and out of one’s head, too.
This depends on the person, genetics, circumstances, and whether a recognized anxiety disorder is present. For some, a bout of worry may last a few minutes, a few hours, or potentially days or weeks. Others may have a consistent stream of worry throughout much of life due to their personality or the presence of an anxiety disorder or other mental health condition such as PTSD.
How one copes with anxiety makes a difference, as well. Someone who utilizes positive coping strategies like journaling, exercising, positive self-talk, or therapy may be able to work through an attack or episode more efficiently than someone who utilizes things like alcohol, drugs, or self-isolation to cope.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Get regular exercise.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Do relaxation exercises such as yoga, deep breathing, massage or meditation when you feel anxious or scared.
- Keep a journal. Write about your thoughts, feelings, experiences, or what you're grateful for in your life.
- Take time to practice hobbies, such as reading or listening to music. Or watch your favorite show or movie.
- Foster healthy friendships and talk with friends and family.
- Have a sense of humor. Find ways to include humor and laughter in your life, such as watching funny movies or looking at joke websites.
- Volunteer in your community.
- Organize and focus on what you need to get done at home and work and remove tasks that aren't needed.
- Seek professional counseling. A counselor can help you learn specific coping skills to manage stress. Counseling can help you feel better right away, or it could seem to make you feel worse as you work through things before feeling better as you learn to take control of and manage the stress.
- Anti-anxiety medication may be helpful for chronic stress and worry, with some homeopathic options like CBD, lavender, magnesium, and B-vitamins showing promise. Always be sure to contact your doctor before starting any medication or supplement, however, as these are not suitable for everyone.
- The latter two may be particularly helpful for those who have a family member or members with anxiety or chronic stress, as there is a genetic component to how these are experienced.
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