Managing Anxiety: 3 Coping Strategies You Can Practice Anywhere, Anytime
With all that is happening in the world right now, many people are experiencing new or worsened anxiety. If you’ve experienced anxiety, then you know how hard it can be to cope in everyday life. Seemingly simple tasks are hard to fulfill, and even when you get them done, you feel anxious the whole time. You may keep a calm exterior, but on the inside, your stomach is in knots and your heart is racing.
Though anxiety may feel all-consuming, it doesn’t have to be this way. When you feel anxiety creeping in, there are techniques that you can use to calm the immediate effects — and you can use these strategies anywhere and at any time.
1. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness has become something of a buzzword over the years, but its benefits are remarkable. By practicing mindfulness, you can find peace and comfort throughout the day. Even if you don’t feel anxious, mindfulness can help you savor the moments and enjoy them to their fullest.
When you begin to feel anxious, you may feel you’re slipping from reality. Mindfulness will help bring you back. You can start by noting the things you hear. It may be a car driving by, TV sounds, or people talking in the distance.
Pick one sound and focus on it. Next, find something that you can see. Fixate on it and possibly touch it if appropriate. Otherwise, you can touch something else around you, like a surface or another part of your body. Then you can focus on something you smell, and finally something you taste.
By going through this process, you stimulate all five of your senses and this helps to ground you in the moment. Not only does mindfulness help ground you, but it also distracts your brain from anxious thoughts.
2. Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is one of the most common strategies for coping with anxiety — and for a good reason. When you feel anxious, you may notice that your heart rate increases. Suddenly, it feels more difficult to breathe, and your anxiety quickly escalates from there.
With deep breathing, you can help stop and reverse some of these symptoms. When you feel a rush of anxiety, stop and close your eyes (if possible). Breath in through your nose and hold it for several seconds, then exhale gently through your mouth. Repeat this pattern several times.
Some people have found that counting also helps, so you may want to try the 4-7-8 method: breathe in for four counts, hold your breath for seven, and then exhale for eight counts.
Deep breathing is so useful because it helps calm the physical effects of anxiety. When you start to feel your heart race and your breathing shallow, it can cause even more panic. By taking a step back and regulating your breathing, you may be able to prevent an anxiety attack entirely.
3. Count In Your Head
Much like deep breathing, counting is a great way to pull yourself from an anxiety attack. Counting not only helps calm anxiety, but it also distracts your brain from it. Our brains tend to fixate on one major thing — and for many people, that thing is anxiety.
By doing something as simple as counting in your head, you actively force your brain to think about something else. The more complex you get with it, the better off you’ll be. For example, you can start by counting backward by 7’s from 100. Nearly every adult can do it, but it takes just enough thinking to serve as a good distraction.
Counting is also a great technique to use while deep breathing, so many people find that the two work well together.
Coping with Anxiety Long-Term
While these techniques are helpful for sudden surges of anxiety, they aren’t a cure. The best way to cope with your anxiety is to seek professional help in the form of a therapist. Your therapist can help you delve deeper into your anxiety and what causes it. They may also recommend other resources or referral to a doctor for medication.
Remember that anxiety does not have to be your way of life, and help is available. In the meantime, keep these strategies in mind to begin taking control of your anxiety.