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10 Tips To Get Through Anxiety

By Beatrice Porbeni
02 October 2017   |   6:00 am
Getting through your daily schedule can be a stressful affair. Whether it's about meeting deadlines or dealing with conflict, stress often builds up and it might cause anxiety which gives you knots in your stomach that could totally kill your confidence. Fear and anxiety are natural and adaptive responses to stressors. Fear is a reaction…

Getting through your daily schedule can be a stressful affair. Whether it’s about meeting deadlines or dealing with conflict, stress often builds up and it might cause anxiety which gives you knots in your stomach that could totally kill your confidence. Fear and anxiety are natural and adaptive responses to stressors. Fear is a reaction to a present danger in the environment, while anxiety refers to the anticipation of some potential threat in the future. These feelings occur when your mind perceives a threat. The problem is that your mind cannot differentiate between real and imagined threats.

Everyone goes through stressful times, but in order to avoid panic attacks, it’s important to consider your mental and emotional wellbeing every step of the way. Here are a few tips to help you get by.

1. Exercise always helps
There’s a lot of breathing and meditation involved when you’re exercising. It helps you take your mind off your troubles for a few minutes and keeps you occupied with your own space, allowing you to focus on the present. In the past few decades, research has suggested that exercise is even more effective than medication. If you’re not exercising then it helps to practice regular breathing exercises.

2. Engage in problem-solving
Identify aspects in your life that cause you to build up stress and try to find solutions to situations, which you have possible control over.

3. Accept negative feelings
Not everything will work out as planned, so you need to accept and acknowledge your feelings and find a way to express them through journalling or speaking about them to a friend. It’s important to build trusted relationships so you can always have people to confide in when you feel panicked or isolated.

4. Schedule rest breaks
If your job requires regular deadlines, you should take a few minutes to process your feelings. Imagination is key, use it to your advantage and put yourself in a relaxing place for a couple of minutes.

5. Engage in pleasurable activities
It often helps to spend a bit of time in the day when you’re not relaxing, to catch up on an episode of your favourite series or listen to some soothing music just before bed.

6. Get plenty of sleep
Aim for at least seven to eight hours of sleep, as your brain will deal better with stress and anxiety. A study from the University of Pennsylvania showed that losing just a few hours of sleep increases feelings of stress, anger, sadness, and exhaustion.

7. Look back at other stressful times
Stress is a daily struggle, so sometimes it’s necessary to reflect on past stressors and remind yourself that stressful periods are temporary and will pass.

8. Check your diet
What we eat and drink generally impacts our emotional state. Usually, foods associated with exacerbating anxiety are ones containing caffeine and alcohol. Even consumed in small amounts, studies have found that the stimulating effects of caffeine can cause anxiety, trigger panic attacks, and increase feelings of nervousness and irritability.

9. Avoid moping
Getting though anxiety requires action. While spending time alone with your own thoughts can be nice once in a while, try not to have negative thoughts as they are most harmful when you have anxiety.

10. Talk to yourself positively
Affirm positivity, it’s imperative to practice reassuring and realistic self-talk. When anxious, practice self-talk phrases such as: “I am safe right now” and “I will get through this”. It will go a long way.

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