Coping Strategies for Your Anxiety
Identifying Your Triggers
As we discussed in module three, identifying your triggers can play a critical role in managing anxiety. The more you understand what is causing you to feel anxious, the better you will be able to figure out ways to ease your anxiety.
Take a Look at Your Thinking Patterns
When one experiences anxiety, their thoughts can distort reality, making certain situations feel worse than they are. When you find yourself feeling anxious, take a moment to observe the situation objectively. What is the reality of the situation? Are things as bad as you originally thought? Are there any aspects of the situation you can take control of?
Give Deep Breathing a Try
One common symptom experienced by those dealing with anxiety is rapid breathing. Taking a moment to slow down your breath can have a multitude of relaxing, anxiety reducing benefits. For one, the act of deep, slow breathing can have physically relaxing benefits, regulating one’s heartbeat and reducing blood pressure. Slow, deep breathing has also been shown to reduce cortisol and improve attention, allowing the user to experience relaxing mental health benefits along with its physical health benefits.
Sneak in a Workout
There is no questioning the physical health benefits of exercise, and it also offers a multitude of mental health benefits. Exercise has been shown to reduce stress and fatigue while simultaneously improving concentration and focus. Research have found that exercise as simple as a ten-minute walk can have many benefits to offer those experiencing anxiety. So, get your body moving in whatever way brings you joy. Your body and mind will thank you.
Give Journaling a Try
Journaling can be a great tool for organizing your thoughts, understanding the thoughts and emotions you are experiencing, and getting your anxieties out of your head and onto a piece of paper. Journaling has been shown to offer users a multitude of benefits from relaxation to reduced anxiety levels.
Try Meditation
The more we learn about meditation, the more we realize how useful it can be. Meditation offers a chance to sit with one’s thoughts, observing them without judgment or action. While the practice can take a bit to get the hang of, there are tons of informative videos, books, and informative online articles you can learn from. Studies have confirmed that those who practice meditation report lower levels of anxiety and depression.
Talk to Someone
We are a social species, which means that we thrive off interaction with other humans. Being around loved ones can have many benefits, including stress relief, decreased levels of anxiety, and lower feelings of loneliness. Again, research has suggested that socializing with others can improve a person’s resiliency making them less vulnerable to stress and anxiety.
Eat Enough Nutritious Foods
Your mind needs sufficient fuel in order to function properly. Diets consisting of high fat, inadequate levels of protein, high consumption of sugar and simple carbs, and generally unhealthy eating have all been associated with higher levels of stress and anxiety.
In addition to pre-existing conditions of socio economic disparities already resulting in housing ad food insecurity, food insecurity caused by the pandemic was associated with increased risk of mental illness.
People in disadvantaged groups of a certain race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and/or socioeconomic status frequently suffer from a greater share of health issues. The unequal impacts among these groups are known as health disparities.
Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining optimal mental health. When a person is able to get enough quality sleep, their mind will be able to build resilience against stress and anxiety, allowing them to find relief from certain anxiety symptoms.
Many accepted treatments for insomnia are based on research studies that included few people of color. Approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) or education about sleep hygiene may need to be tailored to improve their efficacy for racial and ethnic minority patients. Only well-designed research studies can clarify the optimal treatments for these patients by broadening their scope to involve more diverse and representative participants.
A few ways you can improve your sleep hygiene include:
- Setting and sticking to a sleep schedule
- Developing a healthy night routine
- Cutting out caffeine six hours before bedtime
- Cutting back on daytime naps
- Cutting screentime an hour before bed
- Creating an optimal sleep environment
Most Importantly, Seek the Help of a Mental Health Professional
If your anxiety is beginning to take a toll on your quality of life or does not seem to diminish on its own, talking to your doctor or seeking the help of a mental health professional may help you figure out why you are feeling anxious and how you can get back to feeling like yourself again. Pairing professional help with the above-listed coping mechanisms will prove to be extremely helpful in reducing your anxiety symptoms.