Experiencing anxiety is unpleasant, and managing it can seem near impossible sometimes. If you are someone who experiences anxiety, you will understand how draining it can be. Your mind may be racing, causing your body to become tense as your fight, flight, or freeze system starts to kick in. In an article written by Seth J. Gillihan Ph.D., we learn tips to help when we feel like we are drowning in our anxieties and stress.
The first tip recommended is to question the story. Anxiety is constantly making predictions, and we mistake it for reality. Anxiety tells us we are going to fail, when in reality there is no way to predict the outcome of a situation. Next time you notice yourself thinking that something negative will happen, try asking realistically what the odds are. Think about the situation you are stressing about and weigh how likely your prediction actually is. Take a moment to consider other outcomes that are more positive. Often, the thing we are worried about never happens. Redirecting our energy into reality can be incredibly helpful.
Secondly, facing our fears can help diminish our anxiety. If we are anxious about a situation, we are compelled to avoid it. However, this reinforces the idea that what we are worried about is actually dangerous, thus causing more anxiety. Avoidance is addictive and it leads to more avoidance. Every time we avoid a situation that we are worried about, we feel relief and our brains register it as a reward. Facing what we are afraid of can be terrifying and seem like the last thing we want to do, but it is truly a powerful tool to use to combat our anxiety in the long run.
Lastly, being fully present in any given moment causes anxiety to vanish. This is due to the fact that anxiety is based on fantasies involving the future that we have imagined. It is crucial to take a moment and ground ourselves. We must remind ourselves where we are and what we are doing. The event that is causing anxiety has not even happened yet, and it is unlikely the outcome will be as bleak as we imagined it. Embracing the unknown is the key step to being present. It will always feel uncomfortable not knowing how life is going to go for us, but reminding ourselves to stay present is a key step to reducing anxiety. Of course, problems still exist in the present moment. Life will always throw problems at us, but we can handle each of these problems in real time using our abilities and experiences to assist us.
It is important to note that anxiety cannot be simplified down to using a few tips and suddenly it’ll disappear. Anxiety is a complex thing, and these practices, accompanied with therapy, can help us to better our mental health.