10 Small Steps To Stop Worrying: Self-Help For Anxiety Relief
Anxiety is something that we all face from time to time. But, when anxiety starts to become a normal thing in your life, it is time to take steps to do something about it. This is not how you want to live your life. But, you may not even realize that you have anxiety if it is something that is normal in your life. You can learn more about your anxiety levels by taking a quick test at AnxietyBoss. The site is owned and operated by Dr. Carlo Carandang, MD. He is one of the leading experts on topic of anxiety. Once you can assess your anxiety, here are 10 things that you can do in order to stop worrying and get past your anxieties.
- Take Breaks – If you start to get anxious while doing something, set it aside for a few minutes and do something else. Get up from your desk and walk around. Switch up tasks so you do them at different times of the day. Taking breaks can make a huge difference in your anxiety levels.
- Change Your Thinking – Change the way you think about things so you stop thinking unhelpful thoughts. Think about all of your thoughts, and whether or not they are positive or negative. If they aren’t helpful, find ways to change those thoughts. For instance, instead of thinking that you are going to fail a test, turn that around into thoughts of how you can ace the test.
- Breathe – Taking long, deep breaths activates the brain’s relaxation response, and it helps you to feel more composed. Inhale slowly while counting to four, hold your breath in for a count of four, and then exhale to a count of four. Breathe deeply, from your belly.
- Encourage Yourself – Make positive statements to yourself. Remind yourself that anxiety is nothing more than a feeling, and that you can find ways to cope with that feeling. Then, tell yourself ways that you will work on coping.
- Skip the Coffee – Coffee can really make you edgy, and it is going to contribute to your anxiety. This goes for all beverages and food that contain caffeine. The sooner you start eliminating caffeine from your diet, the better off you are going to be. Not only will you experience less anxiety, your physical health will also improve.
- Be Social – When you are shutting yourself away from the world, you are going to have more anxiety. Everyone needs to have people around. Just talking to someone can make you feel a hundred percent better about things in your life. Get together with friends and family, and take part in activities you can enjoy together while being able to talk.
- Exercise – Exercise will release the endorphins that help to reduce anxiety. You don’t have to go out and get an expensive gym membership. All you need to do is exercise. Take a walk every day, go dancing, or take up another activity that you enjoy doing.
- Sleep – If you are not getting enough sleep, you are more likely to be anxious than if you were sleeping at night. Before going to bed, do something that relaxes you, such as taking a warm bath or drinking a cup of warm milk. To stop your brain from bombarding you with thoughts, write down your worries a few hours before bedtime, and try mental exercises to get your brain to slow down.
- Avoid Alcohol and Drugs – You may think that alcohol and drugs help to relieve your anxiety, but they are just temporary fixes. In fact, the short-term effects can be quite harmful as well. Just think about it. A panic attack is bad enough at the best of times. Just imagine how much worse it would be if you were high.
- Do things You Like – If you like to cook, read, listen to music, or anything else, do it. This is going to help you to relax, because you enjoy it, and it is going to go far in relieving your anxiety.
