Tips for Decreasing Anxiety
I see people with Anxiety symptoms in my office as much or more than I see people with Depression symptoms. Anxiety is a large category with many different signs, but I’ll put it in the simplest terms I can. With Anxiety, you’re nervous about something specific or everything in general. Mentally, you either have difficulty focusing on any one subject or you feel you cannot help but focus on one subject. Emotionally, you could experience a range of feelings from uneasy to worried to panicked. Physically, you might notice tight muscles, headaches, stomach discomfort or pain, or shortness of breath, or other signs.
So what can you do? Here is a short list to get you started, but everyone has their own methods that tend to work better for them. The important thing here is to use what works.
Tips for Decreasing Anxiety
- Deep breathing (breathe from your belly, not your chest, and a little slower than normal)
- Distracting, pleasurable activities
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Positive self-talk (mentally say reassuring things to yourself)
- Talking to a trustworthy person
- Martial arts
- Eliminating or cutting down caffeine intake
- Training your mind to slow down
- Making preparations instead of just worrying
