Everyone will experience some anxiousness at some point in their lives. A big exam, a public speech or a troubling economy can all trigger feelings of anxiety for many people. However, some people have an overwhelming kind of anxiousness that goes beyond this. They may be anxious for no reason at all, or have bouts of anxiety so severe that they interfere with their happiness or the way in which they lead their lives. Luckily, there are steps that can be taken to overcome anxiousness regardless of the cause or intensity.
Step 1
Practice relaxation exercises. Yoga, meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, going on a long walk or spending some quiet time alone are all activities that may calm your nerves and lessen your anxiety.
Step 2
Replace negative thoughts with affirmations. Pay close attention to your inner thoughts. Whenever you catch a negative thought, immediately replace it with a positive affirmation. Saying the positive phrase in your head or even out loud can retrain yourself to think positive thoughts more often than negative ones and will lessen your anxiety. Statements like "I will be able to handle anything that comes my way" or "Outside events do not control my happiness; I control my happiness" are just a couple examples of affirmations that may help.
Step 3
Learn to accept uncertainty. According to HelpGuide.org, people with chronic anxiety often worry because they can't stand the unpredictability of the future. While worrying can make you feel like you have more control over the future, this is just an illusion that is doing more harm than good. By learning to accept or even embrace uncertainty, you will find your anxiety about the future begin to diminish.
Step 4
Eliminate stress in other areas of your life. According to the Northwest Nazarene University's counseling center, having stress in one area of your life can exacerbate feelings of anxiety in other areas. Therefore, work to eliminate or reduce any stress you can, even if it doesn't seem directly related to your anxiety.
Step 5
Participate in activities that make you feel confident. Since anxiety cannot coincide with feeling of confidence or relaxation, increasing the amount of time spent in these types of activities could reduce your overall feelings of anxiety.
Step 6
Create a specific time period for worrying. Trying to become anxiety-free overnight is unrealistic, and overcoming your anxiety will be a gradual process. However, forcing yourself to limit your worrying to a specific time period will break your bad habit of dwelling on worries all day long, which will teach you to postpone worrying and stay in the present moment free from anxiety.
Step 7
Desensitize yourself. Since much anxiety is created due to fear of the unknown, forcing yourself to do the anxiety-provoking activity over and over may make it so ordinary and commonplace that it will be enough to extinguish your anxiety. If your anxiety for the activity is too overwhelming and you have difficulty forcing yourself to do it, try to break it into chunks and do a little bit of it at a time until you can master the entire thing.
Step 8
Build a support system. Talking to friends or family members about your anxiety may make it less overwhelming and frightening. The more you are able to look at your anxiety objectively with the help of others, the more powerful and in control over your anxiety you'll feel.
Step 9
Seek professional help. If your anxiety is crippling or is getting in the way of leading a normal, happy life, consider talking to a counselor or looking into using anti-anxiety medications. Many people use a combination of psychotherapy, medication and self-help activities to successfully treat their anxiety.
Tips and Warnings
- Exercising, eating well, and avoiding caffeine and sugar are a few more things that may reduce your anxiety.
- Contrary to what some believe, cigarettes and alcohol are not effective ways to cope with anxiety, and may even cause an increase in overall anxiety, according to HelpGuide.org.
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