Anxiety disorders affect approximately 20 percent of the American population, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). This makes anxiety one of the more common mental illnesses, but at the same time it is easily treatable. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, nervousness, or worry in anticipation of an event or uncertainty of an outcome. Anxiety is actually a normal emotion; it warns us of potential danger, it is a normal reaction to stressful situations such as test taking or public speaking. Anxiety becomes a problem when it begins to affect our daily functioning, relationships with others, or even physical health. The following are ways to prevent or reduce feelings of anxiety.
- Visit your doctor. It’s important to first rule out any medical issues that may be exacerbating your anxiety. Sometimes mood could be directly affected by a medical condition.
- Get enough sleep. Lack of rest contributes to mood. This could be difficult because anxiety may be what’s keeping you awake. It’s important to go to bed early enough. Make sure that your sleep area is relaxing. Some people like to leave the television on and fall asleep to that. Television actually stimulates the brain which may be contributing to difficulties with sleep. Having a quiet sleep space in a dark or dimly lit area can help make your sleep area more relaxing.
- Maintain a healthy diet. Reduce or eliminate caffeine and sugar in your diet as they both act as stimulants which can increase your anxiety. Follow your doctor’s recommendations about what foods to eat to help improve your mood.
- Exercise regularly. Consult with your doctor to make sure you have no physical limitations before you start with any exercise regimen. Evidence has shown that regular exercise can actually reduce feelings of anxiety.
- Breathe. Don’t forget to breathe. Often times when I work with anxious clients, breathing is a basic skill they often forget to do. When anxious, breathing can start to be shallower which can sometimes lead to feelings of dizziness or being light-headed. This is due to lack of oxygen to the brain and can lead to a panic attack or even fainting. Take slow, deep breaths, making sure that you are breathing from your diaphragm.
- Practice self-care. This doesn’t mean just taking bubble baths or getting a manicure. Basic self-care would be proper boundary setting; learn to say no to things. Don’t spread yourself thin. When you begin doing things for everyone else and doing less for yourself, this can contribute to anxiety and stress. Learning to set boundaries for yourself and knowing your limits is a good way to practice valuing yourself and recognizing that your needs are just as valuable as the needs of others.
- Challenge negative thinking. Thoughts, feelings, and behavior are all connected. If you think “I’m going to screw up this presentation” you will feel anxious or uncertain about your capability, which in turn will affect your behavior. Ask yourself what evidence suggests the negative thought. Using the previous example, if you’ve stumbled through a presentation in the past, determine if it was your anxiety that caused this or some other reason. This is the time to use positive self-talk: “I know the material, people respect what I have to say, I’ve done my research on the topic.”
- Stay in the present. Anxiety is often caused by forward thinking- anticipation of an unknown event that may or may not happen. When you recognize this, reel your mind back in to what is happening at the moment. Immerse your senses in what’s happening in the present to change focus from the anxious thought to things currently before you. What do you see in front of you? What do you smell? What do you hear?
- Visualize something peaceful. This could be an imaginary place that you create in your mind that brings about a sense of calm or it could be a happy memory that you experienced in the past.
- Have realistic expectations. It’s great to strive to do the best at whatever task you undertake, but it’s just as important to recognize that mistakes are a part of learning and can sometimes be a good thing. Setting standards too high only leads to stress and anxiety. This doesn’t mean to lower your expectations; it simply means to evaluate your situation and what you are capable of doing at the time.
Anxiety does not go away overnight. Seek a professional to help you master some of these skills. Be patient with yourself; remember this is a learning process and it takes time to master any new skill that you learn!
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