Anxiety can feel like a constant shadow, lurking in the background and sometimes overshadowing your ability to live life to the fullest. You might be overwhelmed by worry, stuck in a cycle of intrusive thoughts, or paralyzed by fear. By learning practical coping skills for anxiety, you can manage your symptoms, regain control, and start living a more balanced, fulfilling life.
This article will cover the symptoms of anxiety that affect your daily life, how these symptoms can inhibit your level of success in life, eight transformative coping skills for anxiety, and how online therapy can help you understand and overcome the root causes of your stress.
Understanding your symptoms
Before diving into coping strategies, it’s essential to recognize the symptoms of anxiety and how it might be affecting your daily life. Anxiety is more than just feeling nervous; it can manifest in both mental and physical ways, often leaving you feeling drained and unable to focus on what matters most.
Common symptoms of anxiety
Anxiety can present itself in many forms, including:
- Physical symptoms: Increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, headaches, muscle tension, and digestive issues.
- Emotional symptoms: Persistent worry, irritability, restlessness, feelings of impending doom, and a sense of being overwhelmed.
- Cognitive symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts, indecisiveness, and a tendency to overthink or catastrophize situations.
- Behavioral symptoms: Avoidance of situations that trigger anxiety, procrastination, or a need for reassurance from others.
How anxiety affects your ability to succeed
Anxiety can have a significant impact on various aspects of your life, from your career to your personal relationships. You might find that anxiety:
- Hinders productivity: The constant worry and racing thoughts can make it difficult to focus on tasks, leading to procrastination or incomplete work.
- Strains relationships: Anxiety can cause you to withdraw from social interactions or become overly dependent on loved ones for reassurance, which can strain relationships.
- Affects decision-making: When anxiety clouds your mind, making decisions can feel overwhelming. You might second-guess yourself or avoid making choices, which can hold you back from personal growth.
- Triggers avoidance behaviors: To avoid the discomfort of anxiety, you might steer clear of situations that trigger it. While this may provide temporary relief, it can limit your opportunities and reinforce the anxiety over time.
Coping skills for anxiety: A guide to reduce your symptoms
Now that you understand how anxiety might be affecting your life, let’s explore some unique coping skills that can help you manage your symptoms effectively. These strategies go beyond the basics, offering in-depth explanations for why they work and how they can significantly impact your mental health.
1. Practice progressive muscle relaxation.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique that involves tensing and then slowly relaxing each muscle group in your body. This process helps reduce physical tension, which in turn can alleviate some of the physical symptoms of anxiety. PMR can be particularly effective when anxiety manifests as muscle tension or headaches.
How to practice progressive muscle relaxation:
- Find a quiet space: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position where you won’t be disturbed.
- Start with your toes: Tense the muscles in your toes for about 5 seconds, then slowly release the tension as you exhale.
- Move up your body: Gradually work your way up through each muscle group—calves, thighs, abdomen, chest, arms, neck, and face—tensing and relaxing each area.
- Focus on the sensation: Pay attention to how your body feels as you relax each muscle group. Notice the difference between tension and relaxation.
This is a gold start coping strategy. Give it a try, both when anxious and when you’re not, to see how it makes you feel.
2. Develop a personalized anxiety toolkit.
Everyone’s experience with anxiety is unique, so it’s essential to create a personalized toolkit of coping strategies that work for you. This might include breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques, journaling, and other methods that help you feel more grounded and in control.
It’s important to note that sometimes the techniques or tools that usually reduce symptoms may not work perfectly from time to time. This is why it’s imperative to have multiple coping skills to choose from when anxiety takes its toll.
What to include in your anxiety toolkit:
- Breathing exercises: Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing or the 4-7-8 method can help calm your nervous system and reduce anxiety.
To try this method:
- emptying the lungs of air
- breathing in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds
- holding the breath for a count of 7 seconds
- exhaling forcefully through the mouth, pursing the lips, and making a “whoosh” sound for 8 seconds
- repeating the cycle up to 4 times
- Mindfulness practices: Mindfulness involves staying present and fully engaged in the current moment, which can help you break the cycle of anxious thoughts. Anxious thoughts tend to live in the future.
The truth is that worrying about the future robs you of enjoying the present moment. By returning to the present moment, you can end the “what if” spiral of thoughts and focus on the here and now.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques: These include challenging irrational thoughts, cognitive restructuring, and practicing exposure to feared situations in a controlled manner.
- Comfort items: Include objects that bring you comfort, such as a stress ball, a calming scent, a soft blanket, or a favorite book, to help ground you during moments of high anxiety. By bringing awareness to your senses, you take yourself out of your thoughts and make yourself aware of what is around you in that moment.
Curating your personal anxiety toolkit takes time plus trial and error. Give these techniques a try during times of stress and anxiety to see what works for you.
3. Challenge and reframe illogical thoughts.
Anxiety often involves a pattern of illogical thinking, where you anticipate the worst-case scenario of any given situation or intrusive thoughts that you find difficult to control. Sometimes, this is from your conscious thoughts. Often, this is the result of your default thinking patterns.
One of the most effective ways to manage anxiety is to challenge these thoughts and reframe them in a more positive light.
How to reframe illogical thoughts:
- Identify the thought: Pay attention to when you’re having an anxious or negative thought. Write it down if that helps.
- Question the thought: Ask yourself if this thought is based on fact or an assumption. What evidence do you have for and against it?
- Reframe the thought: Replace the illogical thought with a more balanced one. For example, if you’re worried about an upcoming event, instead of thinking, “I’m going to fail,” try thinking, “I’ve prepared well, and I’ll do my best.”
4. Create a structured daily routine.
Anxiety thrives in uncertainty, so creating a structured daily routine can help you regain a sense of control and reduce your anxiety symptoms. Having a predictable schedule can also make incorporating healthy habits and coping strategies easier into your day.
Tips for creating a routine:
- Set a consistent wake-up and bedtime: Consistent sleep patterns can help regulate mood and energy levels.
- Prioritize self-care: Make time for activities that help you relax and recharge, whether reading, taking a bath, or spending time in nature.
- Schedule breaks: If you’re prone to anxiety during work or school, schedule regular breaks to step away and practice deep breathing or mindfulness exercises.
- Incorporate coping strategies: Include time for coping skills like exercise, journaling, or meditation.
5. Establish a robust support system.
If you have experienced anxiety symptoms for a long time, you know that it can feel isolating at times. Building a solid support system of friends, family, or peers who understand what you’re going through can provide comfort and encouragement. Your support system can also remind you of your strengths and help you stay grounded during anxious moments.
How to build a support system:
Reach out: Be bold and ask for help. Let your loved ones know when you’re struggling and need someone to talk to.
Join support groups: Consider joining a support group for anxiety, where you can connect with others experiencing similar challenges. These support groups can be in person or online via Facebook groups. Sometimes, connecting with others who share your struggles can ease the feelings of isolation and feel you’re the only one who struggles with anxiety.
Seek professional help: If you’re finding it difficult to manage anxiety on your own, online therapy can provide the guidance and support you need. Makin Wellness offers online anxiety therapy sessions that can help you explore the root causes of your anxiety and develop personalized coping strategies from the convenience of your home.
6. Practice grounding techniques
Grounding techniques are designed to bring your focus back to the present moment, which can be particularly helpful when you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety. These techniques use your senses to distract you from anxious thoughts and reconnect you with your surroundings.
Examples of grounding techniques
- 5-4-3-2-1 exercise: Identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This exercise engages all your senses and helps shift your focus away from anxiety.
- Mindful breathing: Focus on your breath, noticing the sensation of air entering and leaving your body. This can help you center yourself and calm your mind.
- Physical touch: Hold a comforting object, like a smooth stone or a piece of fabric, and focus on its texture. The tactile sensation can help ground you in the present.
7. Learn to set boundaries.
Anxiety often arises when you feel overwhelmed or stretched too thin. Setting healthy boundaries for yourself and others is a crucial coping skill that can help protect your mental health.
By saying no to additional stressors and prioritizing your mental health, you can reduce anxiety and create more space for self-care.
How to set boundaries
- Identify your limits: Take time to reflect on what you can and cannot handle emotionally and physically.
- Communicate clearly: When setting a boundary, be clear and direct about your needs. For example, if you need time to yourself after a long day, let others know you’re unavailable.
- Practice saying no: It’s okay to decline requests or invitations if they’re too much for you to handle. Remember that your mental health comes first.
The role of online therapy in managing anxiety
While these coping skills for anxiety can be efficient, it’s important to recognize when you might need additional support. Online anxiety therapy at Makin Wellness can be a powerful tool to help you understand the root causes of your anxiety and build a toolbox of personalized techniques to manage your symptoms.
How online therapy can help you
- Identify triggers: A Makin Wellness online therapist can help you explore the underlying factors contributing to your anxiety and identify specific triggers.
- Develop coping strategies: Through online therapy, you can learn and practice new coping strategies tailored to your unique needs.
- Build resilience: Online therapy can help you develop resilience and improve your ability to handle stress and anxiety in the future.
- Provide support: Having an online therapist to talk to can offer validation, encouragement, and a safe space to process your emotions.
At Makin Wellness, we understand the challenges of living with anxiety, and we’re here to help. Our online therapy services are designed to provide you with the support and guidance you need to navigate your anxiety and reclaim your life.
Conclusion
Living with anxiety can be challenging, yet it doesn’t have to hold you back. By practicing these transformative coping skills for anxiety, you can manage your symptoms and start living a more balanced, fulfilling life.
If you need additional support beyond the coping skills listed in this article, consider reaching out to a Makin Wellness online therapist who can help you explore the root causes of your anxiety and develop personalized coping strategies.
At Makin Wellness, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Call us at (833)-274-heal or get started here to connect with one of our specialized anxiety therapists. Start your journey to a healthier, happier life today.
