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If you experience periods of anxiety and stress every once in awhile, you're human! Anxiety becomes a problem when it's part of your everyday life and interferes with what you want or need to do.
Unfortunately, many times anxiety is caused by things we can't even control. And, for the most part, you have no control over life’s weighty issues like crime, poverty, oppression, terrorism and world hunger. What you can control, however, are your thoughts, actions, associations and lifestyle.
Carefully note what sets off your anxiety and limit your exposure to it.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling anxious. A certain amount of stress is unavoidable.
Worry is undirected energy. Try channeling that energy into something positive and productive.
Avoid going to a place in your mind where worries consume you. Imagine a light switch turned to off or anything else that symbolizes that these types of thoughts are off limits.
Most of what we fear never comes to pass. When or if a crisis hits, options will often turn up to help you deal with it.
Find positive, uplifting people. Your happiness is directly related to those who surround you.
Keep motivational or spiritual literature close by, or repeat a phrase such as “Be at peace” to help resist the pattern.
The world will not change because you worried or because you were unhappy. It’s OK to be cheerful in the face of adversity.
Focus on lowering the intensity and length of worrying, rather than eliminating it completely. For example, give yourself permission to worry for just five minutes.
With this technique, you consciously take control of your anxiety by simply being aware of how it affects you and stopping the energy drain and panic-provoking thoughts.
If worry is consuming you, ask yourself, "What is the worst thing that can happen?" Then, write it down. Sometimes, just the process of writing it down will help you see how irrational it might be. If you don't feel as though the fear is unreasonable, continue by asking yourself:
As you do this exercise, imagine yourself inhaling calm energy and exhaling your anxiety. Exhale for double the amount of time you inhale, until you feel relaxed:
Think of yourself as “resetting your thermostat” or anchoring yourself in calm waters.
Everyday anxiety — that doesn't interfere with your daily responsibilities — is completely normal. But, if you are struggling to concentrate, have constant worries, restlessness or experience symptoms that could be classified as a panic attack, it's vital you seek help. If you have an anxiety disorder, it can be managed with psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and/or drugs called benzodiazepines, which suppress the activity of brain chemicals. Talk to your personal doctor about the best treatment for you.
