Practical ways how to deal with anxiety
In this blog topic, we will take a look at how to deal with anxiety.
What is anxiety
Anxiety often involves feelings of fear, worry and it also can lead to negative thoughts and it can cause people to be out of control. This happens usually when people get diagnosed with Anxiety disorder and it can lead to negative thoughts.
The good news is that there are different ways and strategies that you can use to cope with anxiety.
- Mindfulness
When anxiety comes in, take some time to time out and think about what is making you nervous. It usually is experienced as worry about past or future events.
As an example, you may feel bad that something bad could happen to you, maybe you are still upset with someone or an event that happened in the past. Regardless of the scenario, the issue is that you are not in the present moment.
There are a couple of mindfulness practices that you can develop on a daily basis
· Find a comfortable position to sit
· Close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose. Follow the breath with a deep exhalation, out through the mouth.
· Continue to breathe deeply, through the nose and out through the mouth. Allow this technique to make you present.
· Use the affirmations
Identify what’s bothering you
In order to deal with anxiety, you would need to figure out what’s bothering you. You can do this by taking some time to explore your feelings.
Starting a journal can be a great way to get in touch with your inner being. Write everything down of all the things that bother you. Talking to a professional can be another way to discover and resolve your anxiety issue.
Focus on the stuff that you can change
Many things that can cause anxiety is a fear of things that haven’t even happened and could never occur. Even though everything can seem okay, you could worry about potential issues, such as becoming ill, Losing your job, or your safety.
Life can surprise us no matter how hard you try, you cannot control everything. However, you can decide how you are going to deal with the issue. You can use your anxiety as an anchor and a source of strength by letting go and focusing on gratitude.
Try to replace your fear with gratitude. As an example, stop worrying about how you would lose your job and start focusing on how grateful you are to have a job. When you are at work, be determined to do your best every day.
At some times, anxiety may actually be caused by a real-life circumstance. You may be really worried about losing your job due to high company layoffs. In such situations, taking action can be an answer to reduce your anxiety. You may need to update your CV and start looking for a new job.
Distraction
At times, it may be helpful to redirect your focus to something that is not your anxiety. You may reach out to someone to do some housework or engage in healthy hobbies. You can do some chores or a house project. Engage in an activity, such as reading, drawing, or writing. When I first started dealing with anxiety, I started my blog as a source of distraction.
There are many hobbies that you can try. Listen to music, pray or meditate, and exercise. When you are feeling anxious, look for different ways to distract your mind from your feelings, anxiety, or stress.
Exercise to strengthen your body and brain
Some lifestyle changes can also be helpful to prevent anxiety and it would help you cope with anxiety flares. How much you sleep, what you eat, and how much you exercise can have an influence on how you deal with anxiety.
One study found that exercise has a positive effect on anxiety disorders and significantly reduces symptoms of anxiety. Research has also found that a healthy diet lowers stress levels.
Taking care of yourself and your mind may be a helpful way to prevent and relieve anxiety. To deal with anxiety, focusing on having a healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis will decrease the level of anxiety.
Meditate
Meditation is a physical exercise that improves your mental health, lowers stress and it can increase calmness. There are no rules on how to start a meditation practice. When I first began my meditation practice, I started with 5 minutes in the morning. There are so many benefits to meditation. Setting time for meditation really helps to build a habit.
You can start meditating by finding a comfortable spot to sit, if it’s not easy at first, you can lie down during your session. In the beginning, I would recommend listening to a guided meditation. There are thousands of guided meditations on youtube, you can choose 1 meditation for easier convenience.
When you begin your session, your mind can wander, you can notice what is happening around you, and you can start thinking about anything else that is not related to meditation. This is completely normal in the beginning, don’t be hard on yourself for not being able to sit still during the meditation session.
Journaling
If you want to start journaling, there is no right way on how to begin your journey. If you want to make it a habit, don’t think about it too much. First, you can start with what is easy for you, grab a notebook and use it as a journal. The Digital version is way much easier for daily use since you can use your phone, tablet, or Laptop. You can start writing down your thoughts, especially in times when you feel stressed or overwhelmed. After you build the habit of journaling, you will find writing on paper is going to be therapeutic.
Whenever you want to start to journal, you can use the time as an opportunity to think about something or use your journal to log your feelings or logs. As you continue to journal, it is going to help you along in life.
