So how do you actually manage anxiety?
We talked about what anxiety was and where it came from, now let’s talk about what you can do about it. There’s two parts to this, prevention and coping/regulating. Prevention is what you do day in and day out to keep your nervous system regulated, so that when something does arise, you can handle it. But if your starting point is anxiety, then when something that warrants an anxious reaction happens, you might be pushed too far or shutdown. The basics of making sure you’re eating consistently well and enough, as well as, getting adequate sleep are incredibly important. Movement is going to be your best friend when it comes to anxiety prevention. Humans are designed to move! A lack of movement can make you more susceptible to excessive anxiety, so make sure to get in some daily movement. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout everyday. Even a simple daily walk or yoga practice can do wonders for your mental health. Making sure you’re not overloading your brain with information or stimulation is also a key prevention strategy. Taking what I like to call brain breaks throughout the day really help let the steam out. That could look like a few deep breaths with your eyes closed every couple of hours, a 5 minute meditation, or stepping outside for a few minutes. Meditation can also be an incredible prevention tool when practiced consistently. And lastly, know your triggers. I’m not saying always avoid them, that can make anxiety worse. When you know your triggers though, you can prepare for them as best you can with preventative and coping strategies. And when you see anxiety coming and work to regulate sooner, it can lesson the intensity making it more tolerable.
Now, what to do when something sets off the anxiety alarm? For starters, you could turn to any of your prevention tools here as well. Some people find they need to increase the intensity or duration for coping. For example, if you walk daily for 20 minutes as a prevention, when you are actively anxious you might try walking for 30-40 minutes to ease your nervous system. Bouncing, shaking, and rocking movements are very soothing to the nervous system (think about how we soothe babies then mimic those motions with yourself). A creative practice can be a really helpful way to manage anxiety. Maybe you journal, color, paint, work on a craft, knit, etc. Dancing can be a wonderful way to move the anxious energy out of your body, so turn on some music and dance around your kitchen! Slow your breathing down, breathing in through the nose and out the mouth is a quick easy way to reduce anxiety. Don’t underestimate changing environments. If you are feeling anxious at home, take a walk, go for a drive, get outside, or go to a park; leaving the house can be beneficial. All in all, you need to be practicing daily anxiety prevention, while also having a good plan of action for when you are actively anxious.
Questions to ponder.
What is one practice I can commit to daily to keep anxiety at bay?
What are three actions I can take if I am feeling acutely anxious?
When do you notice your anxiety spiking? How can you use that information for future occurrences?
