Spending hours worrying about worst-case scenarios is no way to live a healthy life, yet many people live like this because of their anxiety. People with anxiety often times find it difficult to manage because they physically can’t, or they just don’t know how. Since everyone doesn’t want to get hooked on anxiety medication, it is beneficial to know how to cope with sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, or other anxiety symptoms.
While it may seem like anxiety isn’t manageable, it is. It can take time and practice, but learning to be less anxious and braver is possible. If anxiety takes a toll on your life, use the following tips to help manage your anxiety.
Break Big Projects Into Small Tasks
Anxiety tends to find its way into the workplace, and it often displays itself in the form of procrastination because completing the work can feel paralyzing to anxious people. It is best to break down a project into small portions, so that your goals are more easily accomplished. You can also apply this tip outside the workplace. For example, if going to a party and socializing induces anxiety, make it your goal to only greet the host, rather than talking to all the people you don’t know.
Establish What Is Bothering You
The symptoms of anxiety are more noticeable than what is causing them. How do you get to the bottom of your anxiety? It can be beneficial to explore your thoughts and feelings by writing in a journal. Write down everything that is bothering you or discuss your thoughts/feelings with a friend or therapist. Uncovering things is a great way to manage anxiety.
Try Valerian Root Tea Or Magnesium Foods
Provided you aren’t allergic to valerian root, this herb can have a powerful calming effect on the body. Valerian root tea is typically consumed an hour or so before bed to help induce sleep. You can also eat magnesium rich foods to help manage stress levels.
Accept Your Anxiety
The common acceptance for someone with anxiety is that he or she experiences anxiety. This isn’t the same as accepting anxiety. People with anxiety are not alone because anxiety affects about 40 million American adults. Accepting anxiety is like adding additional support to manage the condition.
Prove Your Anxiety Wrong
What we mean by this is that it is beneficial to expose yourself to the thing that triggers your anxiety. A study at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that exposure to the anxiety trigger can help people cope with it. For example, you may be riding the elevator and your worst fear is getting trapped in there for hours. Face your fear by getting inside the elevator, riding it to the desired floor, getting out, and realize that you made it out without getting stuck. You can apply this to many of your fears to boost self-empowerment.
