Helpful Tips for Coping with Anxiety
Becoming worried or nervous can be a normal part of life. Every day life experiences including work, school or relationships can be stressful. We all experience ‘life happenings’ that can create a temporary anxious experience. These types of anxious experiences tend to resolve quickly with little conscious effort to reduce those feelings.
When worried feelings become more consistent and increase rather than resolve over time, you could be dealing with an anxiety disorder. Symptoms of an anxiety disorder include nervousness, helplessness, feelings of danger/doom, heart racing, sweating, shakiness, and a sense of panic. Any of these experiences can greatly interfere with day to day life.
Finding a safe person to talk with and learning coping strategies to ease and understand your anxiety are going to be key to managing those symptoms. It is important to understand that anxiety is an expression of the body and your body’s way of communicating with you that something is incongruent in your life.
Here are a few ideas to start with to manage symptoms.
Keep Up the Exercise Routine
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Science has provided some evidence that physically active people have lower rates of anxiety and depression than sedentary people. Exercise may improve mental health by helping the brain cope better with stress. In one study, researchers found that those who got regular vigorous exercise
were 25 percent less likely to develop depression or an anxiety disorder over the next five years.”
And according to the Mayo Clinic, “Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel- good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. Incorporate walking, jogging, tai chi, or yoga into your routine throughout the week along with plenty of fresh water.
If you can’t manage a daily time block, squeeze in quick walking breaks for 10 minutes here and there during your day. Any little bit helps!
Get Those Zzz’s
While movement is important, rest can be equally important in the balance of things. When experiencing anxiety, restful sleep can be difficult. Unfortunately, lack of sleep or not getting the recommended amounts of sleep can cause your anxiety to spiral.
Create a sleep schedule to help your body get used to a healthy sleep routine. Create a comforting and relaxing environment where you sleep. Keep work or electronics out of your sleeping environment so your brain learns the difference between work and sleep space. Pay attention to lighting and sleep comfort including sheets pillows and blankets. Upon waking spend time journaling for a few minutes unpacking any thoughts or feelings that might have come up while you were sleeping.
Nutrition Matters
Stress creates many opportunities to stress/binge eat. When this happens, it usually isn’t the healthy food options. Proper nutrition can help with symptom management.
According to Harvard Health, it is important to reduce the amount of sugar, alcohol, caffeine and processed foods we consume, and increase healthier, nutrient rich items like complex carbohydrates and protein rich foods. It is also important to drink the recommended water intake for your body size every day. Caffeine and alcohol fuel anxiety and depression increasing symptomology.
Use Relaxation Techniques
When experiencing anxiety symptoms it is important to elicit the relaxation response in the body. Harvard Health found the best way to elicit the relaxation response is to implement several techniques that can help you turn down your response to stress. Breath focus helps with nearly all of them. Those techniques include progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditation, yoga, tai chi and Qi Gong, repetitive prayer and guided imagery.
They further stated that creating a routine is an important step towards elicit the relaxation response.
“You may want to try several different relaxation techniques to see which one works best for you. And if your favorite approach fails to engage you, or you want some variety, you'll have alternatives. You may also find the following tips helpful:”
Choose a special place where you can sit (or lie down) comfortably and quietly.
Don't try too hard. That may just cause you to tense up.
Don't be too passive, either. The key to eliciting the relaxation response lies in shifting your focus from stressors to deeper, calmer rhythms — and having a focal point is essential.
Try to practice once or twice a day, always at the same time, in order to enhance the sense of ritual and establish a habit.
Try to practice at least 10–20 minutes each day.”
Professional Help
If you’re struggling with anxiety symptoms and need help managing them, you are not alone! Reach out to learn more about anxiety counseling. A sliding scale is offered to those in need.
