If you suffer from anxiety, you are probably desperate to avoid getting anxious or eliminate your anxiety all together.
Especially when times are uncertain, it is important to learn how to control anxiety to live a happier, grounded life.
Anxiety takes shape differently for everyone. However, anxiety does affect everyone, even if you do not have a diagnosed disorder.
It is important to look inward, and identify the severity of your anxiety and also what triggers it.
When the world feels heavy and uncertain, it’s common to feel anxiety creep up.
On some level, everyone will feel anxious when they are uncertain, and some people even experience dread and doom when anxious.
First things first, take a deep breath.
Remember that you are not your anxiety. You are bigger than your anxiety.
The anxiety you are feeling does not define who you are. Think of the anxiety as something outside of you that you can relieve.
Now, sit with that feeling.
Let your heart race and your palms sweat. Let your body feel that anxiety, and release it.
Remember that you are enough.
Next, try to pinpoint what it is that makes you anxious. Sometimes, we feel anxious for no certain reason.
Look inward once again, and think back through your train of thoughts. Was there a particular thought that triggered the anxiety? A moment or an occurrence?
Meditate on that for a moment, and try to release it.
Below, you’ll find a list of helpful tips and techniques for minimizing and controlling your anxiety.
Tips And Techniques For Controlling Anxiety
- Deep breathing
Find a comfortable seat and breath in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 6 seconds, and release for 4 seconds. Do this when you anticipate feeling anxious, or if you feel your anxiety rising.
- Progressive muscle relaxation
When we are anxious, our muscles tense. Go through each part of your body and squeeze those muscles tight. Then release.
- Challenge your irrational thoughts
Did you tell yourself something negative that made you anxious? Change that negative thought to a positive one and keep repeating that to yourself.
- Imagine yourself in your happy place
This may be the oldest trick in the book, but it is for a reason. It works.
- Meditation works wonders
Even if it is just for 5 minutes. Sit down and close your eyes, focus on your breath, and let your mind wander. You may find you feel a little lighter afterwards.
- Look at each of your fingers
Tap each finger to your thumb. Every time you tap your finger to thumb repeat the phrase “peace begins with me.” Do this whenever you need a little positive boost.
- Sit still
For five minutes every day, sit completely still. Do not check your phone or watch TV. Just sit with yourself and your thoughts. The five minutes will fly by. This will release any anxious tension you might be feeling.
- Take breaks
Do not work constantly and forget to check in with yourself. It is okay to just let yourself be.
- Journal
Every day write down something you are grateful for and maybe your highs from that day. What has made you happy? This should help you be more positive.
- Be mindful
Sometimes anxiety does get the best of us and we cannot help it — and that’s okay.
Allow yourself to feel what you are feeling, and be forgiving with yourself.
It is a well known fact that we hold stress and anxiety in our bodies, not just our minds.
When you are anxious, your body starts to be fearful and it can go into fight or flight mode.
This can be traumatic to your health, as your body is not able to rest.
Your heart will be faster, and your brain will think that you are in danger. This causes muscle tension, heart issues, and more.
If you’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed, take the tips above into consideration and you will be well on your way to controlling those feelings and emotions enough that your body will be able to relax.
Simply by trying to avoid your anxiety or even eliminate it, you are already moving in the right direction.
Accept your anxiety for what it is, and accept yourself for who you are.
Let yourself feel those feelings so that you can release them. Identify where your anxiety manifests in your body and let it go.
When the world feels uncertain, we have to do what we can to push through it. Just remember that anxiety can be overcome, even if it is just for a moment.
You’ve got this.
Pin this graphic to Pinterest to save for later!