Manage Anxiety And Stress: Anxiety Strategies For Your Mental Health

How can anxiety strategies help you in coping with anxiety?

Coping strategies for anxiety can help in a variety of ways. Breathing exercises can help to calm us down by hacking into the parasympathetic nervous system to slow the heart rate, boosting oxygen flow to the brain and body, and rooting us more firmly in the present moment. Exercise can help through expending energy and anxiety as you exert yourself, and it may also help root you in the present moment as you are more likely to be paying attention to your body during this time to avoid injury. Journaling can help those with anxiety by allowing them to write out their thoughts and feelings and physically see them and reflect on them, rather than just having these thoughts and feelings bounce about in the mind. Therapy can help by showing us what might be the root cause(s) of our anxiety, helping us to understand it, and teaching personalized coping strategies.

How can I manage my anxiety healthily?

Managing anxiety healthily can include a variety of strategies, discussed in the above article. Helpful anxiety strategies include deep breathing or slow breathing, mindfulness meditation (noticing and feeling what is in the present moment), practicing saying “no” rather than taking on more things, journaling about what might be causing the anxious feelings, taking care of yourself through physical activity and a balanced diet, utilizing your support system (you’re not bothering them by doing so!), and making sure to take time to yourself daily to do things that you enjoy like reading or playing a video game. Another useful strategy is positive self-talk. For example, telling yourself things like, “I trust myself. I will be ok. This is temporary,”can aid in calming yourself down in the face of anxiety.

What are common strategies and tips for coping with anxiety?

One of the most common strategies for anxiety management is breathwork. This can include exercises like box breathing (utilized by Navy SEALS), which involves breathing in to the count of four, holding for four, breathing out to the count of four, holding at the bottom for four, and repeating as many times as needed. The “five senses” exercise can help root you back into the present moment and reduce anxious feelings. First, you list five things that you can see, then four things you can hear, three things you can smell, two things you can touch and feel, and one thing you can taste. These activities activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to relax the body and mind.

Why is it important to cope with anxiety?

If left unmanaged, anxiety can worsen over time, particularly if you have a diagnosed anxiety disorder such as social phobia or social anxiety. Coping with anxiety symptoms, be they panic attacks, muscle tension, or anxious feelings, helps you learn how to identify and manage anxiety over time. The more that you actively try to healthily cope with anxiety, the easier it may become over time to employ these coping strategies and lessen your anxiety response to stimuli.

How can I control my anxiety without medication?

It is possible to manage anxiety without medication. There are several anxiety strategies you can try to help you.

Anxiety strategies and tips to help reduce your anxiety

Other common ways to control or reduce anxiety include talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, support groups, breathing exercises, practicing mindfulness, spending time doing things you enjoy just for enjoyment’s sake, and lifestyle changes like altering diet if you suspect your current habits are playing a role.

Can you overcome social anxiety?

Absolutely! Some individuals can overcome social anxiety with time and diligence. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, social anxiety (and other anxiety disorders) can be mitigated or even potentially overcome via approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, support groups, and stress management techniques. It’s important to note that anxiety and anxiety disorders can often have a genetic component to them, and so for many individuals the act of “overcoming” anxiety, social or otherwise, is more so an act of learning to minimize, cope with, and simultaneously accept yet challenge their anxiety throughout life.  

How do I stop shaking from anxiety fast?

Utilizing breathing exercises like box breathing or slow, deep breathing can be a relatively fast way to hack into your parasympathetic nervous system and relax the body, in turn relaxing the mind and mitigating anxiety symptoms like shaking.

How do I know if I have anxiety?

While occasional, temporary anxiety is experienced by most people, having an anxiety disorder is different. If you find that your anxiety does not go away, is present more often than not, and is negatively impacting your life (i.e., turning down opportunities due to anxiety, avoiding daily tasks or having difficulty doing them, inability to stop worrying, avoiding social situations or unfamiliar circumstances, etc.), you may have an anxiety disorder. The only way to know for sure is to be assessed by a medical professional with the ability and licensure to diagnose mental health conditions. From there, you can (with the help of a doctor or therapist, if desired) learn how to healthily manage your anxiety in ways that work best for you.