Anxiety is something we all experience from time to time as a natural response to stress or some kind of threat, but it becomes a problem when our anxious feelings are long-term, chronic and out of proportion to the situation or event. That’s when it’s important that we seek help and support from our families, friends and/or a health professional.
As it’s Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 and this year’s theme is anxiety, we asked our team and our community what are their go-to ways to deal with their anxiety.
And so here are some of our favourite tools and techniques for dealing with anxiety.
Focus on all of your senses
When you’re feeling anxious, it can be really helpful to focus on your other senses for a moment, whether that’s through a gentle breathing technique like castle breathing or the 4-7-8 technique, or through a sensory practice. Take a moment to rub two fingers together and really feel the sensation of your fingerprints - or try one of our popular sensory practices in WorryTree created by the brilliant Sally Hardie.
Make movement a part of your day
This doesn’t have to mean going for a run or an hour down the gym! Exercise is great for anxiety if you can because it releases natural endorphins that will combat your cortisol or stress hormone, levels. However just increasing your movement throughout the day can make a really big difference, whether that’s taking the stairs, getting up and going for a walk at lunchtime rather than eating at your desk, or parking on the other side of the car park away from the shops.
Get outside and into the natural environment
One of the other benefits of going for a walk is the time spent outside. Research has shown that spending time outdoors in the natural environment increases our levels of calm and decreases stress. Taking a walk, going for a wild swim, or even sitting in a garden or city park, can make us feel more connected to the natural rhythms of life and therefore calmer and more content.
Challenge your negative thoughts
Using techniques like worry time, problem-solving your worries and challenging your negative thoughts can all help us to feel much more in control and less anxious. When you catch yourself thinking negatively or ruminating, write it down in a journal or in your WorryTree app, and ask yourself how likely it is that it might happen, and whether that thought is actually serving you. The more often you make this a practice, the more you’ll find your thoughts tend towards the positive rather than the negative.
Check-in with how you’re sleeping
Take a moment to focus on your body and ask yourself if you’re getting enough rest. Sleep is so important for our mental and physical health; if you’re not getting enough then this can lead you to feel more anxious and much less tolerant of stress. There are plenty of ways you can help yourself to sleep better, from creating a calming bedtime routine to finding ways to manage anxious thoughts in the middle of the night. Read more about getting a good night’s sleep here.
Make sure you’re hydrated and cut down on caffeinated drinks
Being fully hydrated is really important for your physical and mental health but some drinks like tea, coffee and caffeinated soft drinks can actually increase anxiety levels, especially if you’re sensitive to caffeine. If you drink a lot of tea or coffee, try swapping out some of those drinks throughout the day with a fruit tea or plain water, and limit your caffeinated drinks to one or two a day. Caffeine actually works with your stress hormone, cortisol, as a stimulant and can make a noticeable difference to your anxiety levels.
Connect with other people
Sometimes just reaching out to someone who is a calming presence in your life can alleviate anxiety and certainly sharing our anxious thoughts and feelings with a trusted person is a really good way to manage anxiety. That might be a friend or partner, or it could be a health professional or therapist who is there to listen and not judge. Spending time with people who make you feel good about yourself, or finding clubs and activities that help you meet people who like similar things, can really help with anxious feelings too.
Which techniques above have you tried and do you have any others that help you when you’re feeling anxious? Share them in the comments below so that other people can try them too!