Anxiety can head different from person to person. It often is more than an uncomfortable feeling of immense worry that hits occasionally. For some people, anxiety is a state of mind they battle with, which can keep them up at night. It can be endless torture that impacts every aspect of their life.
However, most people consider their anxiety as a warning alerting them about something wrong and requiring immediate attention. Hence, their anxiety can be a physical response instead of a mental one. But whatever the case, anxiety can cause significant psychological and physical discomfort.
Below are several tips on how to overcome anxiety. They can help people suffering from stress and depression gain insights into their inner-self to understand how to rise above their mental and physical challenges.
1: Challenge Anxious Thoughts
People experiencing anxiety deal with negative, irrational thoughts. They quickly assume the worst outcomes and convince themselves it is the reality, which causes them to get stressed. Such ideas can become a habit to the point where they do not see any positive results when facing challenging situations.
Overcoming the negative thoughts call for an active approach where you challenge the ideas as they pop into your head. Such practice will break negative thinking and give you a better perspective. Ask yourself if what you fear has any realistic foundations and if the outcomes from the situation can be positive. If that is the case, then focus on the possible positive results and believe they will happen.
2: Recognize Negative Thinking Patterns
The best and most effective way to stop intrusive thoughts is to recognize when they occur and their triggers. Nothing is ever black or white - right or wrong; every situation has a grey area. Anxiety is a one-sided emotion majoring in the negatives. However, you can turn the table if you affirm that the worst thing isn't the outcome, that things can turn for the better.
Dig deep to find the courage to challenge the notion that the worst is about to happen. Tell yourself you can rise above, weather the storm, and successfully go through the situation. You might fear failing, being criticized, judged, or humiliated, but do not allow such things to define what is possible, and you will conquer that fear.
3: Cultivate An Optimistic Outlook
Anxiety alters a person's thinking processes conforming them to stress over minor challenges, and adopting optimistic mindset counters such thoughts. It takes the small stressful moments and dissects them to find the best elements that foster a positive outlook.
Being optimistic can help you see the grander scheme of things when fear, stress, and worry want to control your life. It helps you appreciate that life is more significant than such passing instances; hence, you can create a thinking strategy to plan how to deal with anxiety and stressful encounters. It gives you the courage you need, a confidence that you have control over how you deal with different experiences. Moreover, it lets you assess circumstances differently to understand they are temporary and life must go on.
Cultivating an optimistic outlook on life is a process; the change comes about as you take baby steps. Soon, you will not feel stuck, defeated, or overwhelmed because you can develop constructive solutions to different issues.
4: Take Time For Yourself
Your brain is not designed to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression. While life dishes such instances, finding an outlet to allow your mind an occasional break is best. It is a mental escape you can enjoy when reading, meditating, going for nature walks, swimming, listening to music, or any other activity that lets your mind wander worry-free.
Relaxation and enjoying some leisurely activities are essential to living a complete and balanced life. Hence, health experts recommend taking a mental vacation as often as possible, not a once-a-year or every-other-month type of thing. Take active steps towards making the mental vacation part of your weekly schedule.
Such a concept will sound foreign to people with busy lifestyles. But even the few minutes you steal to enjoy some music when at the office or do yoga before stepping out of the house can work wonders. They can break the circles of constant worrying. Also, adopting a healthier lifestyle where you eat well, get enough sleep, exercise daily, and embrace things that make you feel happy and promote self-appreciation will be crucial in overcoming anxiety. It makes achieving mental peace and physical serenity much easier.
5: Invest In An Anti-Anxiety Toolbox
A therapeutic toolbox where you can get what you need when going to therapy and are under medication to deal with anxiety can be an adequate answer. The toolbox will have vital tools that you can access to help you deal with stressful situations, pushing to do the following:
(i). Ask Questions: You must have a set of essential questions ready to help you navigate situations that trigger anxiety. Ask yourself if you are blowing things out of proportion? How anxious are you because of the problem? Is it something you can control? Is your reaction to the situation realistic? Is it the first time you are experiencing it and if not, have the worst-case scenarios ever manifested? Can you find a positive element that offers a healthy solution? Overall, review past events and successes to guide you through as you find answers to these questions.
(ii). Act Appropriately: Experts recommend acting immediately if you are stressed over something. You can call a friend or someone close for support, go for a walk to clear your mind, meditate, and listen to music, and the list is seemingly endless. Reciting positive affirmations can also profoundly impact your mood when trying to reduce anxiety. Take some time to pinpoint what calms and grounds you, gives you a sense of control, and has proven effective in the past, and add it to your therapeutic toolbox.
(iii). Control Physical Responses: Anxiety starts as a mental condition but is perturbing when the symptoms manifest physically. The symptoms include shortness of breath, increased heart rate, numbness, cold sweats, and tingling in the hands and feet. Such bodily reactions might seem beyond your control, but overcome them using different calming techniques. Find what is most effective for you. It can be meditation, a short walk as you enjoy nature, swimming, breathwork, or listening to music. They will recondition the body to counter the anxiety-triggered symptoms and help you overcome the stressful situation.
