Take Control Of Your Anxiety With These Five Ideas

Feeling anxious is part of life, and it can be a healthy stress response. Unfortunately, for some people, anxiety spirals out of control, severely affecting their day-to-day. If you’re looking to regain control and feel better, consider trying these five simple tips.

1. Breathing exercises

When you’re feeling panicked and stressed out, breathing exercises are a great way to calm down and feel relaxed. Feeling anxious can mean that you’re carrying tension in the body, without even realizing it. If you start to feel tense, taking space and regaining your breath is the first step. 

There are plenty of useful breathing exercises for anxiety including alternate nostril breathing, belly breathing, and box breathing. Once you start using breathing techniques, you’ll notice the difference to your state of mind.

2. A space for worry

One of the key symptoms of anxiety is excessive worrying. For some people, worries can become all-consuming, making it hard to focus on anything else. 

If you’re constantly worrying, the ‘space for worry’ technique is really effective. So how does it work? You set yourself a designated ‘worry period’ each day, it’s a fifteen-minute time slot where you’re free to think about everything that’s worrying you. If you find worries creeping into your mind, outside of this time, you remind yourself that you’re only going to address this during the designated 15 minutes.

For people with anxiety, creating a space for worry can be really effective. It’s a helpful way to take back control and prevent your anxiety from taking over.

3. Talking therapies

Taking therapies are a great solution for people with anxiety, particularly CBT therapy. You might work with an in-person therapist, or check out CBT apps. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is about retraining the brain and unlearning problematic behaviors. Studies have shown that it can be incredibly effective, for some people with anxiety and depression.

4. Health supplements

Perhaps you’re looking to try a few plant-based supplements? There are lots of herbs and plants which can be effective for anxiety. You might try passionflower, St John’s Wort, or Valerian root. Always read the label first, particularly if you are taking any type of medication. Some medications do not mix well with plant-based supplements and can cause an adverse reaction. If you believe you are having a negative reaction it’s best to contact an urgent care or walk-in clinic.

5. Self-care resources

When you’re feeling anxious and stressed, what you need are a few self-care resources. You might try self-care apps, books, or podcasts. Tools like these will give you plenty of ideas, to improve your mental health, and set goals. Some of the best self-care apps right now include:

• My Possible Self
• Sanvello
• Happify
• Shine

Taking control of your anxiety can be tough, it’s a journey that requires a bit of patience. When you’re struggling, try using these five ideas, to help you make progress. If you’ve tried your own tactics, and you’re not making progress, it’s best to contact a healthcare professional.