Anxiety is characterized by persistent worry leading to fear. Small amounts of anxiety can help with motivation and increase productivity. However, anxiety can become persistent and overwhelming to the point of interfering with daily living. If symptoms of anxiety make daily living difficult, anxiety-reducing activities may help.
Yoga
Yoga can help reduce anxiety by using a combination of breathing exercises, poses, stretches and meditation. Stress often manifests as tense or clenched muscles. Therefore, mindful movement, such as yoga, helps decrease anxiety by reducing the associated body tension.
Meditation
Relaxing your mind effectively reduces stress and anxiety, while simultaneously aiding in the relaxation of the body. To meditate, set aside a time in a quiet place that is free from distractions. Find a comfortable position, focus on a sound or word, and concentrate on the flow of your breathing and relaxing your muscles. If negative thoughts enter your mind, let them slip past and out of your thoughts.
Imagery
Imagining relaxing scenarios that put your mind and body at ease helps reduce stress and anxiety. You may do this creative imagining on your own or with the help of a facilitator or guide who will direct your imaginary scene. The relaxing scenario must have a positive association for you. Different people find different places and things calming, and if a guide or facilitator assists with the imagery, he should be made aware of what scenarios you do and do not find relaxing.
Goal-Oriented Change
Over-ambitious goals often create an imbalance between a challenging situation and your ability to cope with it, producing an overriding anxiety and fear of failure that you may be able to alleviate by making a goal-oriented change.
A goal-oriented change of lowering your goal and expectations will help reduce anxiety. You may choose to retain the original goal as an ideal, but lower the minimal satisfactory expectation in order to minimize anxiety.
Developing alternate goals also helps reduce anxiety. If no alternate goals exist, failure to meet the ideal may result in overwhelming fear. Alternate goals serve as a backup plan, ensuring a satisfactory outcome even if the ideal goal is not obtained.
