How to Manage Your Anxiety

By Kat Eftink

Do you often feel scared, uneasy, or a sense of dread about doing things that others seem to handle with ease? You might be experiencing anxiety.

Anxiety is something everyone encounters from time to time—like the nerves before starting a new job or heading to a doctor’s appointment. However, when anxiety becomes a daily struggle, it doesn’t just impact your thoughts; it also takes a toll on your body.

“Living with chronic anxiety can cause physical stress on your body, especially to your nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, immune, and respiratory systems,” according to HealthLine. 

This connection between your mind and body highlights the importance of managing anxiety symptoms. Just because you feel this way now doesn’t mean you’ll feel this way forever. With the right strategies, relief is possible. 

Let’s dive into 5 strategies that can help you manage your anxiety. 

1. Challenge Negative Thoughts 

Unhelpful thoughts can take over and control your mind, causing you to misconstrue the situation. Instead of drowning in the negative, challenge your thoughts. Ask yourself questions like: 

• • What evidence supports and contradicts this thought? 
  • How would I advise a friend in this situation? 
  • Will this matter in a week, a month, or a year? 

2. Exercise 

Challenging yourself physically builds resilience and strengthens your ability to manage difficult emotions. It not only provides a healthy distraction from anxious thoughts but also actively alters your brain chemistry for the better. 

“Getting your heart rate up changes brain chemistry, increasing the availability of important anti-anxiety neurochemicals, including serotonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and endocannabinoids,” according to Harvard Health Publishing. 

If the gym or running isn’t your thing, try stretching or yoga instead. There are plenty of beginner-friendly poses to help you start moving your body. You can even try yoga in a chair!

3. Deep Breathing 

Breathing exercises can help you unwind by mimicking the calming effects your body experiences when it’s already in a relaxed state. To get the most benefit from breathing exercises, practice them before you feel anxious. This helps your mind associate the technique with calmness rather than stress.

4. Clean Your Space

Cleaning and organizing are effective techniques to distract yourself from negative thoughts, and they can also reduce anxiety by creating a calming, organized environment that gives you a sense of control and peace.

5. Grounding Exercise 

Grounding exercises help with anxiety by bringing your focus back to the present moment, which can interrupt anxious thoughts and feelings. One popular grounding exercise is the “5-4-3-2-1” technique, which involves using your five senses to help ground you: 

• • 5 things you can see
  • 4 things you can feel 
  • 3 things you can hear
  • 2 things you can smell
  • 1 thing you can taste 

By practicing these strategies regularly, you can begin to take control over your thoughts and reactions, allowing you to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease. Remember, progress takes time, and it’s okay to take small steps toward feeling better. 

These strategies can help manage anxiety, but if they aren’t effective, it’s important to seek support from a mental health professional. A counselor can provide personalized guidance and support to help you navigate anxiety more effectively. You don’t have to face anxiety alone.