How to Deal With Anxiety

Get Educated About Anxiety

Everyone gets anxious now and then, especially when called upon to perform in some way or when we develop health, financial, career or relationship concerns. But frequent, intense or overwhelming anxiety is not normal and should be diagnosed and treated. Do you worry fairly constantly? Do you have episodes or flashbacks or frequent nightmares of traumatic events? Do you avoid crowds, or social situations? Do you experience panic attacks? If so, these are not normal symptoms. Research your symptoms online or through library resources. But also remember that you are the most important source of information about your own anxiety. Learn to pay attention to when, where and how anxiety effects you.

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Seek Professional Help

You do not have to take this journey alone. There are very definite therapeutic interventions, such as Cognitive and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that work to help you change some beliefs that keep you anxious. And there are medications that can help you calm down enough to do the work necessary.

Get to Work on the Solution

Years of anxiety may have taught you to believe that worry is necessary to keep yourself or others safe, to get things you want, or to be accepted by others. Worry has become a primary coping mechanism for highly anxious people. But the truth is that worry, with all of its physical and emotional manifestations, is the problem. Once you begin to see worry as the problem, you can get busy with the solution.

The solution is to change your beliefs so that you can create the life you want without having to worry about it. In order to do that, sometimes you may have to do some counter-intuitive things. For example: If you are a worrier, telling yourself to stop worrying simply does not work. So, try setting aside one or two limited, prescribed periods in the day in which you MUST worry. During this time, write down and deliberately worry about every thing that concerns you. When the time is up, leave your tablet in your "worry-spot" and go live your day. When worry begins to take over again, re-initiate "worry time." As you experience longer and longer worry-free periods, you ultimately teach the mind to give it up.

Get Body and Mind Working Together

Because anxiety manifests in the body, you have to get the body and mind equally involved. Exercise, meditate, do yoga or try some relaxation techniques. Avoid filling your day with things that you hate. Set aside at least two times a day to dedicate yourself to doing something you love. Reduce the overall stress in your life by gradually beginning to make life-changing decisions such as changing jobs or ending a relationship with an abusive or otherwise negative partner. You won't have to do all of this at once, but just knowing that you have more say-so about your life reduces anxiety profoundly. This is your life. When it comes down to it, you are the final authority.