Feeling anxious sometimes is normal, but if those feelings get too strong, or last for a long time, it can become overwhelming. The following techniques have been shown to help people manage anxiety:
deep diaphragmatic breathing
Breathing using your diaphragm helps you relax and calm your system. Lie on your back with your hands on your tummy:
- inhale for a count of 7
- exhale for a count of 11
- aim for 10 rounds of the 7/11 breath each time you practice
The longer exhale stimulates your body’s relaxation response, which helps you feel calmer.
ground yourself
Disrupt the flow of negative and anxious thoughts through grounding yourself with a simple grounding exercise:
1. Standing or sitting, feel the weight of your body.
2. Push your feet into the floor and imagine you’re being supported by the floor underneath you.
3. Now, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Picture the energy draining from your mind, through your body, and out through your feet. Really feel the heaviness go down your legs, through your feet, and into the ground.
This quick exercise helps you focus on your body instead of your racing thoughts. Doing this slows down your threat system, which often goes into overdrive when you have anxiety.
break the habit through journaling
If you know you have a habit of ruminating on negative or upsetting things, you could start a gratitude journal. Every night before bed, write down three things you're grateful for that day – no matter how small they might be.
Research shows this simple exercise helps rewire your brain to notice more positive things and reduces stressful thinking.
take a minute
Clear your mind of all the clutter and focus on the moment, with this 1 minute mindfulness exercise. Use this exercise as many times throughout your day as you want to bring clarity and calm:
limit news and social media
Thanks to modern technology, it can be easy to become overloaded and overwhelmed. Try to limit how much news you follow if you know it makes you more anxious.
You may also find it useful to limit your time on social media. You can then use that new free time to do more activities that don’t involve screens, such as mindful walking.
Avoiding light-emitting devices before bed, particularly those involving blue light, will also help your body wind down and prepare for sleep.
talk about it
Keeping emotions bottled up can prevent us from processing them and make them harder to bear or learn from. Part of being able to manage our emotions is being able to share them with someone you feel safe and comfortable with. An independent view can also offer a fresh perspective on what you’re worried about. This doesn’t come naturally to everyone, so if you’re struggling, try our guide.
And remember: it’s ok – and totally normal – to have bad days. As with all things, they’ll pass.
And, although unpleasant, they’re a sign you’re connecting deeply with the things happening outside of you, many of which you can’t control. Letting go of things you can’t control will help you to feel calmer, and give you more energy for the aspects of your life you are in control of.
