There is no doubt that everyone gets affected by stress and anxiety at some point. Some stress, i.e., positive stress, is good as it helps you get things done and be productive. However, if you are constantly stressed, it manifests into anxiety disorder and depression. And that is never good for your overall health. Anxiety manifests differently in multiple people, and the level differs from person to person, too.
If you do not take control of your anxiety, it can lead to clinical depression and manifest as physical health issues, too. It can cause diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, and even cancer. That is why managing anxiety is essential. The good news? You can manage stress, but the right time to do so is today. Start taking measures; otherwise, it will get in the way of your daily life. Wondering how to manage anxiety disorders? Looking for strategies for coping and seeking help? Here is a guide for you.
Story Stages
Anxiety Disorder: Common Symptoms Include:
- Feeling nervous
- Feeling a sense of impending danger, doom, and panic
- Hyperventilation
- Trembling
- Sweating
- Obsessive thinking
Managing Anxiety Disorders: Strategies for Coping and Seeking Help
Stop your obsessive thought pattern.
People with anxiety disorder have an unhelpful and obese thought pattern. Once they start thinking something, breaking out of that thought pattern is quite difficult. In their minds, even a phone call can be bad news, or shoulder pain can be cancer. It is necessary to ensure that these negative thoughts do not take root in your mind. If you let it happen, you will make the situation worse than it already is. Therefore, stop your negative thought pattern there and then. Distract yourself or start saying positive affirmations, which can help break negative thought patterns.
Take professional help.
If you are unsure whether you have anxiety or if it is just stress, the first step is to get a helpful and correct diagnosis. Do not do online quizzes or self-diagnosis. Visit a psychiatrist or psychologist at the best mental health facility California (local doctors are best for in-person therapy). They can help you identify whether it is an anxiety disorder or something else. They can also develop a treatment plan: medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy, or a mix of both. You must stick to their treatment plan to ensure you get better.
Say goodbye to recreational drugs and alcohol.
If you are an anxious person with a proper diagnosis, you must stop using recreational drugs and alcohol. These mess with your brain chemistry. At the time, you may feel good, but it always worsens the anxiety. If you are not able to stop using drugs or alcohol on your own, talk with your healthcare provider for group support. These support groups keep you accountable, so trying them does no harm.
Have a proper sleep schedule.
If you are stressed or anxious, your body may react differently to sleep. Some need more sleep, while others tend to become insomniacs. Both are bad for your health. Therefore, work on creating a proper sleep schedule. Ensuring you get eight hours of sleep daily should be the goal, but if you have trouble sleeping, focus more on the quality. Even if you sleep for five hours, you should sleep soundly. Following a schedule where you sleep and wake up simultaneously works best. Also, taking a shower, writing a journal, or reading a soothing book and reducing screen time can help. Remember, if you wake up stressed, it can cause you to make bad decisions, which increases anxiety.
Identify triggers
It is necessary to identify your triggers. What makes you anxious? Is it speaking in front of people? Or maybe a certain situation or person triggers you into a panic or anxiety attack. If that is the case, identifying the trigger is important. After identifying it, work on finding a solution to ensure that you do not feel anxious the next time you are in that situation. Your mental healthcare provider can help you develop strategies for the same.
Practice focused and deep breathing.
It is essential to practice your breathing. Deep and focused breathing can help you reduce stress and anxiety. For people suffering from anxiety disorder, it is essential to practice this. In this, you count to four while you inhale and exhale while counting to four. Do this five times every day, and you will gradually see a difference.
Work on your diet and exercise daily.
Working out every day is beneficial, as staying active helps you reduce anxiety by increasing dopamine (the happy hormone) levels. Moreover, your gut is your second brain, so nourishing it with an anti-inflammatory and healthy diet can also help you reduce anxiety.
Do routine or daily meditation.
Mindful meditation takes time to learn, but if you can learn it, it is a powerful technique to reduce anxious thoughts and cope with your anxiety disorder. You can start with guided meditation or with standing meditation (the best). Then, gradually, you will be able to do it without any guidance. Mediation is proven to reduce stress.
Journaling and expressing gratitude
Journaling is also a great way to manage your anxiety disorder. Writing in your journal every day about things that went great or things that stress you out helps. It ensures you know your triggers and helps you find mechanisms to cope with them. Moreover, start maintaining a gratitude journal. Write three things every morning and night that you are grateful for. Maybe your anxious mind does not see any positives, but writing anything that makes you smile in a day can help change your mindset, which is essential.
Conclusion
Whether you have normal anxiety or an anxiety disorder is something only a professional can diagnose. That’s why you should seek help immediately if you start feeling stressed a lot. They can come up with coping strategies personalized to you to ensure you do not feel helpless. Anxiety can also manifest as panic attacks, so it is essential that you get timely help.
