Anxiety is a natural bodily response when we experience relieve stress and it’s characterized by feelings of apprehension, fear, and nervousness about what’s to come or what the future holds for us. We have all experienced anxiety at the hands of an intimidating or difficult situation like before giving an exam, going for a job interview, etc.
Anxiety can have a significant impact on your daily-life performance, negatively. It can also lead to panic attacks involving symptoms like rapid heart rate, sweating, trembling, feeling dizzy, etc. It prevents you from giving your best in your studies, at your workplace, or even in your social circles.
In fact, according to a study, 1 in 4 people in Australia suffer from anxiety at some phase in their life, making it the most common mental health condition to prevail over there.
There are a plethora of counseling services in Australia available to provide you with professional help. Barring that, enlisted below are some effective ways to help you cope with anxiety.
Practice awareness and question your thoughts
Whenever negative thoughts take control, your minds tend to go haywire and make you incapable of facing the problem. The only way to take control of these erratic thoughts is by challenging them.
It’s crucial to understand whether your fears are legitimate or it’s all in your mind. You can do this by journaling your thoughts down, venting your feelings out to someone, etc. It will not only make you aware of your deep-seated thoughts but also keep you accountable for them.
Employ deep breathing techniques
A lot of anxiety-provoking situations stem from us failing to focus on the present by either being too worried about the future or by dwelling on the past. In these situations, sit down quietly, take a few deep breaths and focus on how you inhale and exhale.
Anxiety loses its intensity when you bring back your focus on the present moment and move away from the source of fear.
In case you have some time to spare, you can also couple this breathing exercise with a few effective mantras. It can intensify the benefits greatly.
Bring back your focus on what is under your control
Many times, we experience anxiety because of things that haven’t even occurred or something that has already occurred in the past.
Life events are unexpected, and not much of it is under your control. You can only control how to react to the situation. So, for instance, instead of fearing losing someone, start being grateful to have them in your life.
It’s also understandable that a lot of times anxiety stems from something that’s happening in the present. The best way to combat it is to not think ahead, be in the moment, take a few breaths and then take action.
Invest your time in your hobbies
Sometimes, the best possible way to deal with anxiety is to keep yourself occupied or invest your time in activities you like. This will help you refresh and also take a newfound approach to the situation at hand.
You can also start exercising in your daily lifestyle. Exercise has proven to be an effective stress buster and also keeps us active and agile. If you’re a newbie, start with simple exercises and then move on to intense ones, eventually.
Avoid alcohol, smoking, drugs, and caffeinated drinks
These substances have been known to worsen the symptoms of anxiety. It’s highly advisable to avoid the intake of these substances if you experience high anxiety. You can also seek assistance from support groups that will help you quit.
Don’t forget your beauty sleep
Being well-rested is very important to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety. Being sleep deprived can aggravate anxiety, and lead to conditions like insomnia. If you are finding it difficult to fall asleep every night, taking professional help can be beneficial.
Over to you…
Anxiety-provoking situations can be overwhelming to deal with. Take care of the above-mentioned ways to manage anxiety symptoms but if it still doesn’t get better, you can always opt for professional counseling services.