5 Ways To Beat Anxiety

“Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” – Walter Anderson

Luckily, because anxiety is a common struggle, many people have found ways to handle the feeling and work past it. These 5 ways of beating anxiety can help you when the walls start closing in.

Acknowledge the feeling

It might seem counterintuitive to accept that you’re feeling anxious but it’s the best way to start working through it. Ignoring anxiety only makes it worse.

Take a moment to recognize what you’re feeling and what may be causing it. You can even write it all down so you can start working on ways to counteract the emotions.

Learn some coping mechanisms

Accepting the anxiety might be a good place to start, but it’s not enough. You also need to learn how to address the feeling you’ve acknowledged. 

There are plenty of coping mechanisms you can employ, including breathing exercises for anxiety relief, reciting empowering mantras and reminding yourself that this feeling will pass.

Talk to someone

When you have a voice in your head that’s telling you all the things that could go wrong, it helps to hear someone else’s telling you the opposite. Talking to a friend, partner, or family member about something that’s worrying you will help you put things into perspective and stop you from stressing over something that probably won’t happen.

If you feel like there’s no one you know who you can trust enough to talk to about your feelings, you can consult a professional instead, such as a therapist, or join a support group.  

Have realistic expectations of yourself

Major causes of anxiety include fear of failure and the unknown. Sometimes we set high expectations of ourselves, whether it’s how much work we can do in a day or how well we can do something. 

When we realize that we’ve set a bar that’s too high for us to reach, panic sets in, leading to anxiety. To avoid this, set small, achievable goals for yourself and every time you succeed, you’ll boost your confidence, which will counteract the negative emotions.

When we realize that we’ve set a bar that’s too high for us to reach, panic sets in, leading to anxiety. To avoid this, set small, achievable goals for yourself and every time you succeed, you’ll boost your confidence, which will counteract the negative emotions.

Even avoiding too much sugar, tea, or coffee helps because caffeine can increase anxiety levels. 

“The only way out is through.” – Robert Frost