7 Strategies for Managing Anxiety
There is a wide range of strategies to manage your anxiety. What works best for you may be different from what works best for someone else. In addition, it can take time to find the practices that work best in your life. But, if you notice that you cannot manage symptoms independently and need support from anxiety therapy, Dr. Phillips can help. Try these strategies for managing your anxiety today:
Show yourself kindness
It is crucial to remember that your anxiety does not define who you are as a person. It does not make you inferior, weak, or stupid. Instead, you have a mental health condition that is treatable and manageable. Therefore, do not let your anxiety cause you to feel less valuable or worthy of respect and love, especially from yourself.
Learn from others
Talking to other people who deal with anxious feelings or someone facing the same types of struggles that you are can help you feel less alone. There are plenty of online forums for anxiety, or join a local support group to meet other people in the area who are struggling just like you.
Understand your anxiety better
Try keeping a journal of when your anxiety is at its worst and best. This practice can help you recognize patterns for what causes your anxiety, what time of day you experience it the most, when you are the least anxious, etc. Understanding the patterns and triggers of your anxious feelings can help you better plan your time and proactively manage your anxiety.
Plan time for worrying
It can be challenging to avoid worrying altogether, so set aside some daily time for indulging your worries. Even ten minutes a day to go over them in your head or jot them down can help keep your concerns at bay during other parts of the day. If you start to worry about something, gently remind yourself that now is not your regularly scheduled time for dealing with worry and move on with what you were doing.
Challenge your self-talk
The way you think affects the way you feel. Anxiety can make you vastly overestimate the danger of a situation and considerably underestimate your capability to handle it. Try to explore other interpretations of your anxiety triggers instead of moving immediately to the worst-case scenario. In addition, investigate the facts for and against your worry being accurate.
Practice healthy living
Staying active, eating nutritiously, spending time in nature, hanging out with friends and family, reducing your stress, and actively participating in activities you enjoy are effective ways to decrease your anxiety and boost your overall wellbeing.
Be present
Anxiety can pull your thoughts into an alternate reality where everything is awful. Try to bring yourself back to where you are with mindfulness exercises like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing practices.
Use these strategies for managing your anxiety. And when you need anxiety therapy, Dr. Phillips can help. Call us today to discover how we can help you manage your stress and work toward a life of happiness and fulfillment. We are here to help!
