Anxiety affects everyone at certain times, and though the feeling can be unpleasant, it often serves a useful purpose. Anxiety can function as a warning to make you more alert or to take action or to remove you from a dangerous situation. But if you're plagued with persistent, uncontrollable anxiety, it can interfere with your daily activities an make your life miserable. Learning how to quell your anxiety can improve your everyday life and well-being.
Step 1
Examine your lifestyle. When you're overly stressed, you're more prone to feel anxious. Eat well-balanced meals, get enough sleep and limit alcohol and caffeine consumption. The former is a depressant; the latter a stimulant. Both can aggravate anxiety. Also, make exercise part of your daily routine. It's a healthy way to work through anxious thoughts while producing brain chemicals that promote feelings of well-being.
Step 2
Learn healthy coping mechanisms. Implement relaxation techniques, such as taking deep breaths and inhaling and exhaling slowly, to calm your body and mind. Incorporate soothing activities -- yoga, listening to music or getting a massage -- into your regular routine. Learn a meditation technique so that you can temporarily free your mind from troubling thoughts. A simple technique involves sitting down while keeping an erect spine and concentrating on an object such as a candle placed a few feet in front of you. Start with five minutes a day, and increase the time as you get better at not letting anxious thoughts break your concentration.
Step 3
Get involved with others. Joining a special interest group or volunteering within an organization allow you to interact with others and take your mind away from anxious thoughts. It also can help build a support network and refocus your thoughts in a healthier direction. Helping others can put your own concerns in perspective. Don't hesitate to share your feelings with supportive family members or friends and let them know how they can help.
Step 4
Seek professional treatment. If creating a healthy lifestyle and finding support from friends and family don't mitigate your anxiety, you may need professional help to treat a mental health condition known as generalized anxiety disorder. About 4 million people in the United States have this disorder, according to FamilyDoctor.org. It's characterized by an ongoing anxiety not related to a specific situation or out of proportion to reality. Therapy with mental health professionals can help you understand your anxiety and teach you how to manage it. Medical doctors can prescribe medications to help control or diminish your anxious feelings.
