How to manage anxiety
There is a lot happening in the world right now and it can feel frightening and overwhelming. From politics to increased cost of living, it’s understandable that some of us are experiencing feelings of anxiety.
Living with anxiety can be very difficult, so if you’re finding it hard to stop worrying what can you do?
Breathe deeply
You might feel like your chest is tight or you can’t quite get enough air into your lungs - that’s because anxiety can dysregulate you breathing.
When we get anxious the body’s fight or flight response is triggered. This is nature’s way of protecting you in a threatening situation - useful if you are running away from a tiger, but not so helpful if you’re trying to do the big supermarket shop. In these moments, breathing deeply can help the body reset.
Sit still, breathe in for 7 seconds then out for 11 seconds. Count each breath. Counting means your mind is taken away from your thoughts.
Struggling to concentrate while you do your breathing exercise? - come on a walk or visit the ducks.
Question your thoughts
Anxiety can cause our mind to play tricks on us and sometimes our thinking becomes distorted. For example, a friend not returning a text might make you think that they are mad at you or an unexpected email from your boss could leave you thinking you’re going to get fired.
Before you listen, ask yourself is that anxious thought a ‘fact or an opinion?’ When we get anxious, we sometimes make a negative prediction about what will happen. This is where we can act like a scientist and ask ‘what is the evidence?’ It is important to remember that thoughts are not facts and they don’t always reflect reality.
Disconnect
Working from home blurs the lines between the office and our relaxation space and doesn’t leave us with much screen or tech free time. If you find that being on your phone or computer a lot is making you feel more busy and stressed, turn of those notifications and take a break.
This could be for just an hour or two. If you find this difficult, try putting your phone in another room or setting an alarm to time yourself. Get out in nature, speak to a friend, grab a coffee, walk round the block, spend time in a different room - anything that doesn’t involve a screen and an added bonus if it moves your body.
Feel your feelings
Anxiety, although uncomfortable, is a normal emotion and no matter how much you want to get rid of it, we all feel anxious from time to time. Accepting anxiety, can be just like accepting that sometimes we feel angry, or sometimes we feel sad and sometimes we feel happy, and just like those other emotions, anxiety will pass.
Don’t put pressure on yourself to be ok. Take things day by day, hour by hour or even minute by minute.
Ground yourself in the present
If your mind is running away it can be helpful to try grounding exercises to help you focus on the now rather than the what ifs of the past or worrying about the future. There are lots of different ones but why not try:
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
Close your eyes and taking a couple of deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth.
Now open your eyes and look around you. Name out loud:
5 – things you can see (you can look within the room and out of the window)
4 – things you can feel (clothes on your skin, the ground under your feet, what is in front of you that you can touch?)
3 – things you can hear (traffic noise or birds outside, when you are quiet and actually listening things in your room constantly make a noise but typically we don’t hear them).
2 – things you can smell (hopefully nothing awful!)
1 – thing you can taste (it might be a good idea to keep a piece of chocolate or a mint handy for this - focus on the flavour).
Take a deep breath to end.
Ask for help
Anxiety can become a mental health problem if it impacts your ability to live your life fully. Sometimes anxiety can become severe and take different forms such as social anxiety, health anxiety, generalised anxiety, anxiety and panic attacks, so if you are affected by anxiety don’t be afraid to ask for help.
If you are struggling, please reach out for help. For access to immediate support contact a mental health helpline, MIND, Samaritans or your GP.
If you have questions about counselling contact me.
Counselling is available online or face to face in Glossop, easily accessible across the High Peak - Hadfield, Simmondley, Charlsworth, Marple, New Mills, Broadbottom, Buxton, Bakewell, Stockport and South Manchester.
