Tools to control anxiety

Hello friends, as you know anxiety is one of the current evils along with Depression, but there are tools that we can use to our advantage to overcome it.

The anxiety
It can be a defense mechanism against unexpected events but when it overflows it is vital to learn to handle it to avoid getting out of control.

Anxiety has become one of the enemies of our well-being. In this situation in which we find ourselves more and more people begin to experience the symptoms of anxiety, caused in many cases by uncertainty and fear of the future, by self-demand and expectation towards others. There is also the acquired habit of trying to anticipate what will happen, most of the time in a pessimistic way; the rush with which we want to live; isolation and, ultimately, not knowing how to cope with the changes that arise as a result of this unexpected pandemic.

The good news is that we can make use of certain tools to manage it and prevent it from taking over us and leading us to lose control, in which case we should seek the guidance of a good physical or mental health professional.

These are some of the antidotes to anxiety:

Learn to flow with the changes of life, without resisting to accept them once they have arrived.
Stop wanting to control everything and everyone around us, so that we can take care of what is really in our hands, such as care and responsibility towards ourselves.
Living in the present, trying to pay attention to everything we do, thus avoiding being trapped in the past, thinking about what we could do, or anticipating what will happen in the near future, a time that has not yet arrived.
Let us bear in mind that anxiety is temporary and that if we propose it we can handle it and overcome it.
Five keys to defeat it
Distract the focus of our attention. Whenever a negative thought comes to your mind, simply avoid navigating it with your imagination, break the cycle by changing the focus of your attention.
Make yourself a tea, pour yourself a glass of water, get up, make a call, change your activity, get into the present, and make that thought disappear from your mind.

Practice mindful breathing.

This simple practice consists of paying attention to the moment in which we become conscious of the automatic act of breathing, doing it slowly and deeply, attending to the moment when the air enters and leaves our lungs, imagining that it frees us and relieves us of the load. mental and emotional that we carry. This helps us to regain calm, so that we can respond in a better way to the situations and people we face. It also helps us calm our emotions and regain balance and security. Try practicing four or five such breaths and return your attention to the present.

Avoid anticipation.

Most of the time we live anticipating how things will present themselves, imagining them not always in the best way, as if in this way we could be better prepared to face everything that might happen to us. While you cannot control what happens or what the other people involved do, you can control how you respond to each situation. Write positive affirmations with phrases of courage, strength and optimism, and repeat them several times a day, especially when you feel distressed. Stay in the here and now.

Accept that we can be wrong. Contrary to what people usually believe, failure brings us closer to success because it teaches us and encourages us to seek alternatives and new ways to achieve what we seek. The important thing is not to be discouraged for fear of making mistakes, but rather to be willing to achieve it, to try, to correct, to learn and to start over if necessary.

To meditate.

Practicing a meditation technique or simply practicing conscious prayer - which reminds us that we are not alone and that the Divine is always with us - can help us to calm the mind, calm altered emotions and regain balance and peace. Meditation is a tool par excellence to regain and maintain balance, serenity and peace of mind.