How to Manage Your Mild Anxiety

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Anxiety plagues thousands of people every day. Oftentimes there is no specific trigger or reason for the anxiety, yet people find themseleves debilitated and unable to cope with the smallest incidents in their everyday lives once the symptoms hit. If you suffer from anxiety, you need to learn to master it, before it masters you.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

You may find the following items to be helpful:
Quiet
Space
Rest
Aromatherapy
Meditation
Prescribed Medication

Step 1

When anxiety hits, it can come on like a wave of discomfort or it may creep up on you slowly. Anxiety sufferers can be plagued by both types of anxiety and it is important to find solutions to both types so when the symptoms arise you will know the best way to handle it.
Step 2

Eliminate the Negative: Try to eliminate the anxiety-causing factors. If your office partner is pushing you over the edge, leave the office for a few minutes, or put on music that will allow you to drown their voice out. If the kids are yelling and stressing you out try to get them to calm down, give them an activity to keep them busy so you can take a quick break.
Step 3

Take Breaks: Try to take breaks while working or while supervising your kids. If you can sneak away for a five minute breather- do it! You will find that getting up and walking around may help ease the anxious feelings that are overwhelming you.
Step 4

Breathe Deep: When you feel that panic or pain hit, try to take several deep and long breaths. Many times anxiety can cause people to hyperventilate which can cause an escalation of the anxious feelings. Try to take 10 deep breaths, counting slowly from 10 to 1 while breathing in and while breathing out.
Step 5

Stretch: Anxiety's symptoms can cause an increase in muscle tension, which can further the feelings of anxiety. Stand up and stretch your muscles- especially those in which you feel tension. Many people hold stress in their neck or back, so try doing some light movement to work out the stiffness.
Step 6

Focus or Meditate: Deep breathing can be a part of the focusing and meditation, but that is not all there is to it. Focus requires you to take your attention off anxiety-causing factors and focus on good aspects around you. This might include a picture of a place you want to vacation to, a family member's picture, or even a visualization of a happy / content time or place in your life. Meditate on those thoughts and try to block out the bad thoughts.
Step 7

Medication: Some people require mild or not-so-mild medication to help manage anxiety symptoms. Do not feel bad if you have to take these medications to keep your anxiety under control. Many people tend to suffer from increased guilt or sadness because they could not manage anxiety on their own- but medication is simply a method to help achieve a more relaxed state, is taken by thousands of individuals and is nothing to be ashamed of.
Step 8

Talk to Someone: When you feel anxiety hit, talk to a friend or family member, or talk to a counselor if you feel that you need to talk to a professional. Many times a soothing voice or friendly gesture can help ease the anxiety and bring you back down to a more peaceful level.

Comments

TxLady said

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on 8/22/2008 Thanks for the tips!

krazigirl79 said

on 8/22/2008 Peppermint oil is very soothing. I'm not a big fan of floral scents so lavender doesn't really work for me- but peppermint has a way of calming my senses and allows me to relax. I'd highly recommend it :)