6 Steps to Beat Anxiety

Anxiety can rear its head in many different ways. Everyone experiences symptoms differently, and everyone has different triggers. Sometimes, anxiety can be caused by big, overwhelming situations. Other times, it can be many little things causing so much stress that it makes you feel anxious.

Whatever the case, anxiety can cause a lot of problems in your life. Not only can it affect your personal life, but it can harm your productivity and relationships. If it gets too extreme, it can even be debilitating to your daily life.

Thankfully, you don’t have to just put up with anxiety for the rest of your life. There are things that you can do to beat anxiety for once and for all.

Getting through stress and anxiety is a journey that will not happen overnight. But, by putting these steps into practice, you can manage your anxiety and feel less overwhelmed everyday.

1. Understand Your Triggers

One of the best things you can do to manage your anxiety is to learn what your triggers are. They could be something small and somewhat “insignificant,” or they could be something more obvious.

Think about what makes you feel most anxious throughout the day. If possible, you can try to avoid your triggers. That’s the best option for some people, especially when they are just learning what they are and how they attribute to anxiety. But, it’s better to understand why certain things make you anxious or feel stressed.

Once you are able to do that, you can get a better handle on how to maneuver around your triggers and work through them in a healthy manner.

2. Get Enough Rest

Getting enough sleep can help with a multitude of different health issues. It is also extremely beneficial when you are battling with anxiety.

A lack of sleep is a huge contributor to anxiety and stress. Unfortunately, it can turn into somewhat of a cycle. When you are feeling anxious, it can be harder to sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, it can be easier to become anxious.

If you are struggling with a lot of stress in your life, try to develop healthy sleep habits. You may benefit from actually scheduling time to sleep at night. If you can stick to a routine and get into a healthy, strong sleep pattern, you will be likely to notice your stress and anxiety will start to fade.

3. Breathe

Obviously, everyone knows how to breathe, but don’t skip over this really helpful step! When you are feeling overwhelmed and anxious, take a few minutes to focus on your breathing.

Deep breathing exercises and different forms of meditation have been used for years for many different mental and emotional health issues. Conscious, slow breaths can quickly help to lower feelings of anxiety by telling your brain to relax.

As a result, you may be able to avoid things like an anxiety or panic attack. This is a great way to manage situations that sometimes feel overwhelming.

4. Disconnect

Sometimes, giving yourself just five minutes of peace and quiet can make a big difference in how you feel, and how stress affects you. We live in a world where it is so easy to be “connected” all of the time.

While that connection is great in many different ways, it can also cause a lot of stress and anxiety. So, for five minutes each day, commit to turning off your devices, disconnecting, and spending that time in silence with your thoughts.

This is also a great time to practice those breathing exercises or meditation. But, simply sitting and relaxing for just a few minutes is good enough!

You might not think that five minutes of silence can be effective. But, it can really help you to feel more recharged and relaxed. Pick a time of day that works best for you, or take some time for yourself when you start to feel anxious.

5. Work Through Your Worry

Often, our anxieties are fueled by worry. We spend so much time worrying and stressing over certain situations, that they can end up consuming us and manifest into debilitating negative symptoms.

So, instead of letting your anxiety completely take hold, work through your worries! If a particular situation has you feeling anxious, give yourself 20-30 minutes to work through it.

Think about why you are feeling worried. Then, go through difference scenarios, including as many possible outcomes as you can think of.

Many times, when we can work through our worry instead of letting it consume us, it doesn’t become so overwhelming. This is a great way to beat anxiety before it gets out of control.

6. Take Advantage of Your Support System

Feelings of anxiety and stress can become much worse when we are on our own. Simply spending time with people we care about you can make these feelings feel less overwhelming.

But, if you are still feeling anxious, don’t be afraid to talk to someone about it. A strong support system can go a long way. You might be surprised how willing people are to help you when they know that you are struggling with anxiety.

You also might be surprised at how many people you know who deal with the same thing!

As you can see, it is not impossible to manage feelings of anxiety, and even beat them! It may not happen overnight, but by using these steps in your everyday life, you can get a better handle on the things that make you feel anxious.

As a result, you can break away from the chains of anxiety and stress, and finally experience freedom!