Many people suffer from anxiety, and when it becomes too much to handle, a person can feel like they are drowning in their thoughts.
I have seen an increase in my clients suffering from anxiety or depression since the pandemic reared its ugly head!
So I wanted to write this blog post that will help provide you with 11 tips on how to cope with this feeling, you will learn some strategies that can help you deal with the physical sensations of anxiety, as well as some things you can say to yourself that may make your anxious thoughts go away.
Everything you need to know about anxiety is
The more common forms of anxiety disorder affect anyone at any age. An anxiety diagnosis calls for a detailed physical examination, mental health tests and psychological questionnaires.
For people who have stress symptoms, there are two types of treatment: therapy and medication.
For some people, lifestyle changes may be enough to manage the symptoms; in moderate or severe cases, treatment can help overcome the symptoms and lead a better everyday life.
The American Psychiatric Association says women can be diagnosed with a more significant proportion of an anxiety disorder than men.
Anxiety can be problematic for many people, myself included at times.
There are many ways you can get tension in your body. You might shake your hands or feel sick. Anxiety can make you not want to eat, or it can make your heart beat faster.
These things happen for various reasons depending on your body type and how it reacts to stress, different from someone else’s body type.
You may also find yourself feeling like you’re suffocating when there isn’t anything around you.
Anxiety also takes a toll mentally and emotionally.
Anxiety can happen when you feel like your thoughts are scattered, and it is hard to concentrate. Some people have anxiety about their fear of feeling anxious, or even about being in public spaces like grocery stores because they remember from the past times when they felt very overwhelmed.
It is hard to find the right people to talk to. People can’t always answer questions and provide reassurance when you need it, so sometimes, you end up being more isolated because you didn’t get what you needed.
For those who suffer from hyperventilation or panic attacks, these feelings are usually short-lived but still very intense.
The most important thing to remember is that you’re not alone in this, and there are ways to cope and make it easier on yourself, so here are some suggestions below! I hope they will help someone who has anxiety find a way through their difficulties.
Anxiety and panic attacks
It can feel similar at times, but panic attacks are a sudden overwhelming sense of fear or dread that happens without warning and usually peaks within ten minutes.
Panic attacks can be caused by stress, anxiety, depression, medications, caffeine withdrawal, among other things.
Anxiety problems keep going and going. People with this problem feel anxious all the time. Panic attacks come in waves throughout the day, but they also have relief periods between these waves.
With both of these problems, people might have shortness of breath or stomach aches even if they are not hungry. These are all very common.
We carry many strengths inside us as individuals that make it easier to cope when dealing with anxiety disorder on our terms.
Some key ones include acknowledging the anxiety and knowing it is a normal part of the human condition, which gives people power over their thoughts. It’s essential to find your coping mechanisms to do what works for you best, but here are some general tips that may help:
It’s ok if anxiety has taken control at times because we all have our days where it’s the only thing on your mind. But always try and stay in a positive mindset when you’re feeling overwhelmed because anxiety is usually fuelled by fear or negative thoughts about oneself, which can lead to depression if not kept at bay.
At times, we may find ourselves doubting that there will be anything better than this moment.
Although things may not feel better automatically, it is essential to remember how people learn how to cope with anxiety and panic-stricken moments.
What can cause anxiety?
Though many factors can cause anxiety, one of the most common sources is overthinking a particular problem.
You may be worrying about something you said to someone earlier in the day, or maybe it’s just having “insecurities”, as people say, and noticing every imperfection on your body, no matter how small.
It could also be some other stressor that has arisen, such as illness or even death of loved ones which can often lead to feeling like everything is pointless because life isn’t guaranteed for anyone!
What are some forms of treatment?
We know of a few different ways to treat anxiety: medication (antidepressants), therapy, and lifestyle changes. Each has its pros & cons, but the main advice is to find what works for you and stick with it.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety can manifest in many ways, physical or mental/emotional. Some anxiety symptoms in the body include a sense that you can’t breathe, shaking hands, nausea or stomach pains, loss of appetite for food, and high blood pressure.
You may also notice that the intense need for reassurance from others affects how you interact socially; this leads to more isolation. No one can provide what someone needs all the time, so there is eventually burnout if it goes unchecked for too long.
Different forms of anxiety.
However, the most common is a generalised anxiety disorder and panic attacks. Generalised Anxiety Disorder is characterised by chronic worry or excessive concern about everyday things that can’t be controlled, such as money, work/school, social interactions, family obligations etc.
Some people with GAD may feel too much physical pain, like their muscles being tense. They may also have stomach pain which they try to avoid by staying at home to avoid things that make them worry.
People experiencing a panic attack can experience physical symptoms like trembling, nausea or stomach pain. For some people, a panic attack also includes elevated blood pressure. Still, for other people, the symptoms manifest differently depending on their body type and how they react differently than others.
You may also notice that the intense need for reassurance from others affects how you interact socially; this leads to more isolation. No one can provide what someone needs all the time, so there is eventually burnout if it goes unchecked for too long.
How do I know if I have anxiety?
It can be challenging to know that you might have anxiety because, typically, anxious people don’t want the diagnosis or anyone else knowing about it.
When you’re constantly feeling anxious, it’s essential to find out the underlying cause for your nerves so that your body doesn’t continue in a state of hyper-arousal.
So here are some ways to tell if someone has anxiety:
- Do they experience panic attacks when going into situations where they feel their worries may arise (like work/school)?
- Do they avoid events or stimuli that could trigger those experiences?
- Are there any other symptoms such as muscle tension, stomach pain etc.?
- Is there a need for reassurance from others to feel better?
What are some ways I can cope with anxiety?
People use many different methods out there, and every one is unique in what they require.
Some of the most popular ones include therapy, lifestyle changes such as meditation or exercise, medication to help ease anxiety symptoms, so you don’t have to suffer through them anymore.
Tip #1: Pay Attention to Your Breathing
When you’re feeling anxious, it’s normal for your breathing to become more shallow and quick. When this happens, take a moment to be aware of what your body is doing. Notice where the breath comes in and out of your nose or mouth. Try taking deeper breaths through the nose when anxiety starts coming on so that you can calm down faster.
Tip #2: Focus on The Present Moment
Sometimes our thoughts get stuck on things like past events or future worries, making us feel even worse about ourselves than we did initially with our anxiety symptoms.
Some exercises help people focus their attention back on the present moment, such as mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga stretches and deep breathing exercises.
Tip #3: Say To Yourself, “I Can Handle This”
Speaking to yourself kindly can go a long way in helping you cope with anxiety.
It’s possible to calm anxiety by repeating words that will help soothe your mind, like “It’s going to be ok” or “You have this under control.”
Hearing these things from someone else might make it more believable but if not, say them aloud anyway for some quick relief.
Tip #4: Remember That You’re Not Alone
Anxiety is a familiar feeling that many people experience from time to time, and it’s also very typical for anxiety episodes to happen at random times without any warning or reason behind them.
When this happens, remember that you are not alone – many others have been where you are right now, and they’ve found ways of managing their feelings as well.
If your anxiety becomes overwhelming, reach out to friends or family members for support so that you can get through the difficult moments together!
Tip #5: Get a Massage
Sometimes doing something kind for yourself can work wonders to help you feel more at ease.
It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant either – just a simple back rub or foot massage can do the trick of calming your anxiety down so that it’s not as difficult to cope with anymore.
There are many different options, such as getting a professional massage, giving yourself a massage or using essential oils to help ease the tension in your muscles.
Read More: 10 Essential Oils to Help With Depression During Pregnancy
Tip #6: Practice Deep Breathing
The easiest way to calm yourself during a panic attack is by practising deep breathing.
You can quickly learn how to do this on your own, and when you are feeling anxious, you must start with something simple like counting the number of breaths you take to control your emotions.
For example, if I am experiencing an anxiety attack, I would say out loud, “Inhale for four seconds; hold my breath for two seconds; exhale for six seconds.” The key here is consistency—it may feel silly at first, but once practice starts clicking in, it will help turn off the adrenaline rush faster than anything else. This technique also helps keep me from hyperventilating.
Tip #7: Eat Smartly and Avoid Caffeine
When you feel anxious, it can be challenging to think clearly or focus on anything but your thoughts—and those feelings may lead you to make poor food choices based solely on how they make you feel right when they enter your stomach.
The key here is moderation and staying hydrated with plenty of water throughout the day; don’t let an anxiety attack control what you eat!
In some cases, drinking coffee can make you anxious. Caffeine can disturb your sleep and can also accelerate your heart rate. Avoiding drinks containing caffeine can help to control anxiety levels. If you’re tired, you might not manage your anxiety. Avoiding caffeine may help.
Tip #8: Use a Journal
Like using your smartphone, writing in a journal can help you cope and put thoughts into perspective when anxiety is getting the best of you.
Just like keeping a food journal to track what and how much we eat, writing in a journal can help us figure out what is making us anxious to know better next time.
It’s also vital that we remember to give ourselves credit for the good things going on even if they seem small; this will go a long way when trying to keep your anxiety from getting out of hand!
Be sure not to write anything down which may be harmful or embarrassing since it could end up being shared with others—instead, use words, thoughts, questions or lines from songs as ways of processing!
Tip #9: Seek Professional Help When Necessary
If all else fails and anxiety becomes too overwhelming for you to manage alone, then you mustn’t hesitate to seek professional help.
This could be with a psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist who practices in anxiety disorders. This is one of the most effective ways for you to get better since they will likely have a lot more experience than someone without as much training would.
Tip 10: Practice Mindfulness Exercises Daily
Mindfulness exercises like meditation and yoga are proven techniques for reducing stress and increasing mental focus – so why not incorporate them into daily life? These activities push us outside our comfort zone and ultimately allow us to accept whatever may come and find balance.
Mindfulness can be beneficial when anxiety is creating havoc in our lives. It forces us to look at things from a different perspective which helps put the feelings into better context rather than experiencing them through fear or avoidance.
Tip #11: Spend a Few Minutes Outside Every Day
There is nothing quite like taking in the fresh air when you feel overwhelmed – so be sure not to forget about this simple technique if anxiety has been getting out of hand lately.
For those who live in urban environments where noise pollution or too much traffic may make going outside less than desirable, try spending time at your local park instead! Spending some time outdoors every day means taking care of yourself while enjoying something beautiful.”
Anxiety is a complicated condition to deal with, but it’s important not to feel alone in your struggle. There are many different strategies you can try when coping with anxiety that may work for you.
If all these tips have fallen short or don’t seem like the right fit for what’s going on in your life, please reach out to me; I would love to chat about how massage therapy could help relieve some of the stressors that cause anxiety symptoms.
You deserve relief from this challenging mental health issue!
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