4 Simple Ways to Help You Manage Your Anxiety

Have you ever felt your heart beating rapidly due to a stressful situation?

Or, do your palms start sweating when you’re facing an overwhelming event?  That’s anxiety, and that’s how our bodies respond naturally to stressful situations.

We all have different triggers, and if you know what makes you anxious, you’ll know what steps you need to take so that you can cope and manage your anxiety attacks.

Here are some of the most effective ways to help you manage your anxiety.

1)      Write down your thoughts

The moment your alarm clock rings, your mind starts racing- it is going to be one of those stressful days.

Stressful thoughts fill your mind. You’ve got a lot of things to do, expectations to meet, and myriad problems to solve. Just a basic idea of getting out of your bed sends cold chills down your bed.  You want to scream and hide. You panic.

You feel hopeless, overwhelmed, and paralyzed.

How on earth can you defeat this anxiety? You need one object;

Your journal.

Most people use their diary for drawing, learning, writing, or planning.

You can use your journal to help you soothe your anxiety instantly and get back the feelings of control, clarity, and calmness. 

When you are facing anxious thoughts, don’t try to deny them or push them away, because if you do this, you’ll only suppress your stress and it’ll come back later in destructive ways.   A better way to help you manage your anxiety is to write down your thoughts on paper.

Writing down your thoughts is like transferring them from your head, burying them into the paper.

When you wake up, grab your journal and vent all your frustrations and negative thoughts into the page.  You’ll feel lighter, more relaxed, and happier.

2)      Talk to someone

Everyone will experience anxiety at some point; only the severity differs from person to person.

Anxiety is healthy and normal. It helps to keep us safe and motivated. It only becomes an issue when you become overly anxious, and it interferes with your daily life.

If you’re more anxious about something, you can talk to your friends even if you feel they don’t understand. After all, your friend should be there for you, whether they can relate or not.

Your friend will show you that they care, and they’ll listen to your experiences without judging you. You may have difficulties opening up about it but do it anyway.

Your friend being there for you, even if they can’t relate to your problems, is a powerful way of showing moral support for you, and you’ll feel much better.

Also, your friend might ask you what you need, and they might do it for you. No matter how stupid their request might seem, it’ll help you in the long run.  Your friends will show that they’re willing to help you will show you that they’re taking you seriously.

3)      Look out for Humor

Studies have confirmed that laughter lowers your blood pressure and lets out beta-endorphins, a chemical in the brain that generates a sense of joy.

These endorphins check the adrenaline and cortisol that fill up the anxious. If you are calmer the more positive, you are

Smiling causes your brain to release dopamine, which makes you feel elated. Your thoughts affect your body and how you feel affects your thoughts.

 If you calm your body, you get positive brain results. All the physiological functions are connected, and your body-mind connection is strong.

Humor provides an unrivaled and unique perspective that will switch your thinking away from anguish and toward the awareness that a completely different outcome is achievable. Humor is one of the most available forms of relief. You can find humor even in the direst of situations if you have a keen eye.

4)       Put more Focus on What You Can Change

Sometimes your anxiety stems from fearing things that haven’t happened yet and might never even come to pass.

 For instance, even though you know everything is alright, you still may worry about possible things that could happen, such as; getting sick, losing your job, the safety of the people you care much about, having an accident, or what’ll happen when you’re dead and gone. 

Life is unpredictable, and regardless of how much you try, you can’t always control how things will play out.

So, don’t beat yourself up about it. The good news is that you can make up your mind on how you’ll deal with what’s beyond you.  Let go of your fears and focus more on gratitude, thus turning your anxiety into your source of strength.

Change your attitude towards your fears. For instance, instead of fearing to lose your job, be grateful you have a job, to begin with. Instead of worry about the safety of your loved ones, spend more time with them and express how much you appreciate them.

With practice, you’ll learn to get rid of your anxieties and develop a positive outlook.

You don’t have to be paralyzed by anxiety anymore.  You can step from despair into freedom and clarity. You just have to act now.  When you feel the anxiety kicking in, write down your thoughts, talk to a friend, focus on what you can change, and look out for something fun to make you smile.

You can watch a comedy movie or listen to a joke. Know what makes you anxious, and you’ll get the right cure for it.