Anxiety is like a nosy, loud neighbour who you try to avoid, but somehow they continuously show up, trying to chat while you’re in the middle of getting somewhere or doing something important. Some ask, “How can I fight my anxiety?” Would you fight your neighbour? Hopefully not! Perhaps you’d learn to manage ways to deal with that neighbour. The same applies to anxiety. Here are 6 ways to manage and reduce anxiety:
Acknowledge Your Anxiety
Fighting against, or avoiding your anxiety doesn’t make it go away. In fact, the more you push against it, the bigger it’s likely to become and the more unproductive you become. When your anxious, acknowledge it. Why? Because most people allow their anxiety to begin to control their behaviour and it can genuinely feel overpowering. By acknowledging your state, you empower yourself. It’s ok to be anxious. It’s common to be anxious. Once you acknowledge your anxiety, then you can decide how you’d like to deal with it, productively.
Breathe into Your Stomach
Breathing deeply and slowly sends a safety signal to the alarm system in your brain. Your breath is letting your brain know that there is no life threat running toward you. Inhaling slowly into the belly, ribs, back, upper throat, allows your nervous system to begin to relax. It also offers you the ability to come into the present. Try counting with each inhale and exhale. For example, an inhale for 4 and exhale for 6 can be calming and allow you to get into a rhythm. This shifts your mind and physical state from racing to relaxed, quickly.
Get Into A Routine
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Routines are key, especially for people who have consistent anxiety. Anxiety is future oriented. It’s hard to relax with racing, frustrating thought patterns. However, routine helps with anxiety because structure helps you to manage expectations and not have to scramble the entire day. Scrambling increases activation in your system. With anxiety, you want to reduce that activation so that you’re able to have more mental and emotional stability. Routines are all encompassing and can extend to your social life if you experience social anxiety. If you have no idea where to start with this, start by waking up and going to bed at the same time every day. Then, build from there.
Access Your Support System
Find people you trust and be honest. If you’re having a tough time and you’re noticing that your anxiety is overwhelming talk to your partner or roommate, call a friend, call a family member that you are close to. Ask them to chat with you about something unrelated if you just want a distraction or confide in them about your state. You don’t have to sit alone and let your thoughts grow into unbearable catastrophes! Support systems, and connection also help you to regulate your system.
Get Comfortable with Boundaries
It’s not unusual for people to feel bad when saying “no” or “stop”. Boundaries are necessary. If you allow others to dictate your activities or tasks, without taking pause for yourself and checking in with your own needs, you will end up anxious and in overdrive, and this will lead to burnout. Have you ever heard the saying, “You can’t pour from an empty glass?” Take time to honour your own needs and if this means saying no to a boss, friend, co-worker, partner, kid, stranger on the street, then please, say no or state your needs so that you can ensure your own well-being.
Use Your Senses
This is one of the most common ways to stop cycling thoughts. Name what you see in detail. What can you hear in your environment? What can you taste? What can you feel on your skin? What can you smell? Go into specifics! Noticing your surroundings and how you are experiencing them helps to disengage from anxious thinking. Why? Because your brain simply can’t do both tasks at the same time! This is also a great way to refocus and check in at the end with how you are doing and what you need. Perhaps you’re feeling more grounded or you need to go for a quick walk. Honour your needs, even if they feel small. They all add up.
Listen, I get it. Some of the stuff mentioned here is simple. Other things, like routine and boundaries might take some practice and getting used to but do these things to help yourself and reduce your anxiety by creating more stability and a sense of calm in your system and your schedule. Notice where anxiety lives in your body and send your breath there. Speak kindly to yourself and drop the judgement. It’s pretty useless when it comes to emotions and states. Invite in people who you find calming. Reduce your time with others who activate your system. Ask questions. Shed shame. Empower yourself to disempower your anxiety.
If you’re looking for more support, Sana Counselling offers trauma therapy in Vancouver. Get in touch with us today!