Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions across the globe.
It’s also one of the most manageable.
While anxiety doesn’t often go away on its own, there are effective ways to cope with and manage your fears on a daily basis.
It can take some time and practice—including repetition—to get better at managing your fears and anxieties. But, if you want to take control of your life again, let’s cover a few management techniques that can help you get rid of those fears and keep them from taking your thoughts captive.
Identify Your Triggers
Most people with anxiety or fear have certain triggers that can make things worse. You might even be able to go through your life without much fear until one of those triggers occurs.
While it’s not easy to “face your fears,” identifying your triggers is one of the best ways to manage your anxiety.
When you know what triggers you, you can choose to avoid it or work through it slowly. A therapist can help you uncover your triggers and work with you through different management techniques that can expose you to those triggers in a safe environment until they no longer cause so much fear.
Meditate Every Day
Meditation is an incredibly powerful practice.
Yet, it’s something many people don’t do because of the stereotypes surrounding it.
You don’t need to do any kind of chanting or humming while you meditate. You don’t need to sit in a certain position or listen to special music.
Instead, meditation is all about deep breathing and focusing your energy. It can take some time and practice to get used to. But, if you’re willing to make it a part of your daily routine, you can use it to manage your anxiety and weaken your fears each day.
Mindfulness is another great technique to include in your routine or use as needed. It’s very similar to meditation, except its purpose is for you to be solely focused on the present moment.
By closing your eyes, breathing deeply, and thinking about nothing but how your body feels and the things that are surrounding you, you can be more mindful. Thoughts will continue to come in, but you’ll let them pass by instead of holding on.
Take Care of Yourself
Self-care can make a big difference when it comes to managing your anxiety. Things like getting enough exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep can all improve your overall mental well-being.
Sleep is especially important for managing anxiety. The two are often closely related because they’re cyclical. It can be difficult to get the sleep you need when you’re fearful. But, not getting enough sleep can make your anxiety worse.
Adopt healthy sleep habits like going to bed at the same time each night to make it easier to get the rest you need.
Don’t Do it On Your Own
When you’re dealing with fears and anxieties, it’s easy to feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. But, you don’t have to go through any of it alone.
Lean on your support system for help. Talk to family members and friends about your struggles. Or, if you’re really having trouble managing your symptoms, consider talking to a mental health professional.
We already touched on how therapy can help you deal with triggers. It can also teach you different skills and management techniques to take back your thoughts.
If you want to learn more about managing your fears and anxieties, feel free to contact me. By setting up an appointment, we’ll get to the root cause(s) of your fears, and work on effective techniques that will help you take control of your life again.