Tips to manage your anxiety
Anxiety has become much more commonplace in today’s society with many of us having a friend or family member that suffers from some form of it, or we have experienced it ourselves. With this in mind here are some top tips to follow to help manage your anxiety
- Establish what is making you feel anxious. You could do this by keeping a diary so that you can pinpoint the exact source of your anxiety.
- Confide in someone you trust about what is making you feel anxious, as just having some to talk to can help to ease the anxiety. If you don’t have someone to talk to, then organisations such as The Samaritans and Anxiety UK can help you.
- Set specific time aside each day to focus on your worries and only think about them during this time and the rest of the time focus on enjoying your life.
- Deal with things or situations that make you feel anxious face on, as avoiding them won’t benefit you in the long term. Even if it takes you a while to conquer your anxiety, this is better than just avoiding it altogether.
- See anxiety as a problem that needs solving and work on finding a solution to the problem.
- Ensure that you take the time to do activities or hobbies that you enjoy as this can help to ease your anxiety.
- Make sure that you get enough sleep.
- Avoid unhealthy habits such as drinking too much or smoking, too much caffeine as a way to manage your anxiety.
- Ensure that you have time to switch off and relax whether this is by socialising with your friends, going to the gym, etc.
- Do regular exercise and maintain a healthy diet.
- Try some of the well-known techniques to manage your anxiety such as relaxation, controlled breathing, meditation or distraction. There are many guides, resources, classes or organisations that can support you with this.
- Don’t be afraid of seeking professional support to help you manage your anxiety. It is not a sign of weakness but instead a sign of strength and will benefit you in the long term.
Have you suffered from anxiety yourself in the past? If so, how did you overcome it? Or have you supported someone suffering from anxiety and have hints and tips to share with others? If so, why not share them in the comments below.