Anxiety is one of the most common reasons that people seek counseling. Managing life and emotions when feeling anxious can be difficult, as the mind tends to go to worst-case scenarios with non-stop “what if” questions. Anxiety often leaves people feeling drained, emotionally exhausted, and afraid to engage in activities, or with others. Avoidance often will intensify your anxiety so here are some tips to reduce your anxiety so that you can stay engaged and in control.
To combat your anxiety you can:
Come into Your 5 Senses
Look around. What do you see? What can you hear? What can you touch? Is there a taste in your mouth that you notice or a scent that you are aware of? Describe these sensory experiences to yourself in detail (or out loud if that works better for you). Learn more about sensorimotor psychotherapy.
This is a coping strategy that can help reduce anxiety when it is high so that your mind is focused on the present and cannot think about the worst-case scenario or future fears. Ultimately, it’s tough for your thoughts to be in two places at once when you are practicing presence with intention.
Sense into, and Ground in Your Body
What does that mean? Essentially, you want to regain control when you’re thinking too far ahead or about what could go wrong. You want to use your body and senses to anchor you. This helps you to take a moment to stop, and again, be present with yourself. This can also help to reduce activation in your nervous system.
For some people, deepening and slowing down the breath is the first place that a sense of feeling secure and grounded can be noticed. However, for some, the breath is difficult to control or deepen, or perhaps it’s not associated with safety in your body for one reason or another. If you fall into the latter, that’s no problem. Instead of anchoring yourself with the breath, you may become aware of the parts of your body that are connected to the floor or the chair in which you are sitting. If you’re sitting, for example, notice your back as it rests on the cushion or chair behind you. Notice your sit bones grounding down, and your feet on the floor. Focus on those areas and feel a sense of being held. This often helps to relax the body, which can help your system to regulate more easily. This is the beginning of a “bottom-up” approach.
Self-Care
Self-care is the most critical aspect of learning to be with and take care of yourself. Self-care also helps to reduce anxiety. Self-care can be broken down into several categories. For now, let’s keep it simple. First, consider your health. The best thing for your health is to listen to your body.
Are you fuelling your body with healthy options? It’s okay to treat yourself! But it’s important to recognize that nutrition is part of how you will feel. Are you moving your body? If you’re able-bodied and feeling well, walking daily has been proven to support mental wellness. Physical activity has been studied and the research highlights the importance of movement and improving mood. Sleep is also crucial for your mental well-being and research shows the correlation between sleep and mental health.
I’m sure what you’re reading here is nothing new but challenge yourself. Can you identify where you need to improve and challenge yourself to improve your mental health? Your body is a system that craves balance.
Presence with yourself is also a huge aspect of self-care, with which many people with anxiety struggle. Think about anxiety. Your mind consistently lives in the future, which can create fear and feeling like you have less control. Finding little things to enjoy that help you stay in the moment are great ways to practice presence. This will help suppress your anxious tendencies or thoughts. This type of self-care can look like seeing or speaking with some friends, taking a walk in nature, a bath, listening to or playing music, yoga, meditation, running, or whatever could fuel your system, do it! And do it unapologetically. Self-care is productive! It keeps you going and it helps you stay mindful.
Talk About It
Find a person you feel safe and comfortable with speaking to about your anxiety. Perhaps you choose your best friend, partner, or family member to chat with about your experience. The more you “name it”, the easier it is to “tame it”, as Dan Siegel explains. Keeping it quiet can intensify feelings of shame, fear, and anguish. When you speak to others, you are more likely to recognize that you’re not alone in your experience, which can be helpful in terms of connecting and finding genuine and empathetic support networks resulting in easing your anxieties and learning the best ways to cope with it.
Learning to care for yourself, and becoming present with your body can take time and practice. However, the more you work at it, the easier it becomes to manage your anxiety. If you are struggling to get a grip on anxiety, don’t hesitate to ask for help. If you’re not comfortable speaking with others in your life or you need additional tools to help you manage, seek professional help when you feel ready. The earlier you have access to support, the easier it will be to feel like yourself again. You got this.