Three Tips to Reduce Anxiety

We all experience anxiety, but it can affect people in different ways. If you are experiencing frequent and intense anxiety, it is important to seek professional help. However, mild anxiety is common and there are some simple things you can do on your own to help manage your symptoms when you need to continue forward with your day. Here are three ways you can manage and reduce your anxiety at any given moment.

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Take a deep breath.

When you’re feeling anxious, it’s tempting to try to talk yourself out of the feeling by thinking logically about why you shouldn’t be anxious or telling yourself that everything will be okay. For some, it may help. But sometimes anxiety isn’t logical and the more stress you put on yourself in these moments, the more anxious you may feel. Instead of fighting your feelings, try taking a deep breath and letting go of any judgments about how much anxiety is acceptable or controllable. You can also do some mindfulness exercises like yoga or meditation if you’re able to but that isn’t always an option during the workday or at a social event. Deep breathing is discrete and effective no matter what situation you are in. Try counting your breath while you breathe in and out to offer an additional level of relaxation.

Be kind to yourself.

When your mind is racing with worry or stress, it’s hard to think clearly and focus on what’s important. It’s also difficult to have a positive attitude when you feel overwhelmed by negative emotions. When you’re anxious, take a step back and remind yourself that there are things about your life that are under your control—and those are the ones worth focusing on. It is important to remember that our feelings do not define us and it is okay to have anxious thoughts and feelings. Have a moment of honesty with yourself and decide if you are doing the best you can right now. If so, let that be enough and meet yourself with kindness. If not, check-in with yourself and ask yourself if that in itself is the source of your anxiety. When our actions don’t align with our values we may experience overwhelm or anxiety. Part of being kind to ourselves is choosing to let our feelings teach us. Instead of dismissing them acknowledge them, learn what you can from them, and then let them go.

Talk to a friend

Talking about your fears and worries with someone you trust can be incredibly therapeutic. Sometimes it isn’t comfortable talking about our problems with other people but it’s important to allow the people who love you to support you just as you would support them if they were feeling anxious. You don’t have to tell everyone but if you have even one person you feel comfortable sharing your feelings with, it will make a huge difference in how well you are able to cope with the pressures of life.

Anxiety is a feeling that we cannot always avoid but there are always tools to manage it. Keep a list of ideas to implement when anxiety strikes and make use of them. Remember that compassion and community are valuable and useful in reducing and managing anxiety. Having compassion for both yourself and others allows more room for connection. The more connected and supported we feel, the less often we may find that anxiety comes knocking. But, if it does, you will be prepared.